The Forgotten Kingdom
by sierragust
Summary: While Crono and Marle were exploring the Zeal kingdom, Marle soon encounters a raven haired ninja named Sasuke Uchiha, who ends up there after the death of his older brother having been thrown back in time. *Spoilers for Chapter 699* Completed (based on the 1995 SNES translation of the game) *Time-travel*
1. Chapter 1: Reminiscence

**Author's Note: After reading "_Timeless_" by Marle (aka. LadyMarle on dA), I felt inspired by writing this crossover between _Naruto Shippûden_ and _Chrono Trigger_. This story will mainly focus on Sasuke Uchiha, the former member of Team Seven who now became the official leader of Team Hebi (Snake)/Taka (Hawk), waking up in the snow barren wasteland of the Antiquity era from Chrono Trigger, sometime during Crono's first time at Zeal after the defeat of Azala and the Black Tyranno in 65,000,000 BC and after they defeated Magus, Ozzie, Flea, and Slash in 600 AD. Just to let you know, this takes place after Itachi Uchiha had died at the Uchiha Hideout and shortly after Lavos buried himself inside the core of the earth at the ruins of the Tyranno Lair in the prehistoric age but before Crono dies at the Ocean Palace followed by the Fall of Zeal and Schala's demise (which we soon learn in Disc II of _Chrono Cross _and the Nintendo DS port of _Chrono Trigger_), and since I don't know what time period that ****_Shippûden _takes place, you're just going to deal with the time period being that of the alternate world that Serge had died by drowning at the tender age of seven in _Chrono Cross_.  
**

**Disclaimer: I only write fan fiction for entertainment, recreation, and just to make the fan base happy. The setting and characters in this story are that of Masashi Kishimoto and Square Enix. I don't own any of them!**

**X~X~X~X~X**

**January 1010 A.D.**

"Is this... the death you had imagined for me, then?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror as he watched his older brother, who was supposed to be dead, slowly get up as his body was emitted in a fiery red aura.

Sasuke growled in anger as he activated his Cursed Seal of Heaven again. Why wouldn't his older brother just die already?!

"Damn you!" Sasuke roared as he saw an exoskeleton form around his brother.

"If I didn't have this, I would've been dead. This is the result in which both the Tsukuyomi and the Amaterasu have been used. The Susanoō!" Itachi said as his trump card gained a layer of flesh.

"The Susanoō?" Sasuke repeated before he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder.

"You need my power, don't you?" A familiar voice asked in Sasuke's head as the younger Uchiha gripped his left shoulder in pain.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed, collapsing on his knees.

"Aww... What's the matter? I thought you wanted revenge on Itachi." The voice said as Sasuke tried to fight it off.

"Do it! Release my power!" The voice rasped out.

Unable to keep the power contained inside him, Sasuke screamed in sheer pain as eight pure white snakes ripped through his left shoulder as he tried to push out more chakra despite not having any left.

"That feels like… Orochimaru's eight headed serpent Jutsu..." Itachi said weakly as his Susanoo quickly severed seven heads of the snakes before the eighth one opened its mouth.

Suddenly, from within the mouth of the eighth giant snake, a pale skinned man came out completely naked and covered with slime as he laughed, much to Itachi's disgust.

"At last! I'm free!" Orochimaru cackled as he started to regurgitate a sword from his mouth. "You should thank me for taking over your brother's body after he ran out of chakra. I've been waiting for this moment to arrive!"

Before he got a chance to continue, Itachi's eyes flared and a liquid flaming sword stabbed the former snake Sannin through his sweat shined chest.

Orochimaru continued laughing. "Do you honestly think this would kill me?" He asked as his eyes widened.

"The Totsuka Blade?! Itachi… you had it all along?" He asked just as he was getting himself absorbed into the blade, revealing a shirtless and slightly battered Sasuke, who was panting and was stripped of Orochimaru's power as well as the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

"Your eyes… they're mine… Sasuke…" Itachi said before coughing out even more blood from his mouth. Sasuke was stunned by this, but didn't falter. "I'll take my time to retrieve them."

"Shut up, Itachi!" Sasuke roared as he got up, only to collapse onto his knees again.

Letting himself be taken by the waves of sensations he was feeling as his older brother's Susanoõ gained a shield, Sasuke quickly pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it, instantly throwing it to push his brother away and when the smoke cleared, Itachi was still moving closer, protected by the shield that his Susanoō had. Grasping his katana, he attempted to break through the barrier, only to have his sword fly out of his hands and sending the younger Uchiha towards the ground. Despite his efforts of not being able to fully maintain his Sharingan and shaking in complete fear as Itachi slowly made his way towards him, Sasuke felt a wave of panic come over him, as he took a few steps back until his bare back suddenly touched cold stone.

"A wall…?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Itachi, who was now dangerously close to him and the wall that was behind him.

Sasuke gasped and, unable to find any possible ways of escaping, horribly watched as his brother's bloodstained fingers that were covered in his own blood didn't go for his eyes, but to his forehead. Sasuke, surprised and stunned at how he managed to keep his eyes, continued to look at his brother.

"Sorry, Sasuke… this is the last time…" Itachi said, a smile forming on his face before he fully lost his sight and collapsed onto the ground, his fingers slowly sliding from an awestruck Sasuke's forehead before lying in a pool of his own blood. Itachi Uchiha was finally dead before his younger brother.

A single white snake slithered out of the rubble shortly before the unquenchable black flames consumed the creature. Trying to catch his breath, Sasuke suddenly felt his heart accelerate as he tried to recover his shaking form and his mind was trying to process what just happened despite his wounds.

Tiny droplets of rain soon quenched the undying Amaterasu-covered battlefield as Sasuke took one last look at his dead brother, smiling that he now accomplished his lifelong mission as, the aching muscles in his legs unable to keep him standing, he also collapsed next to him… just before a blue wormhole sucked the younger Uchiha in, right in front of Zetsu's eyes.

**X~X~X**

**December 12,000 B.C.**

When Sasuke fully regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a snow barren wasteland, wearing his old grey sleeveless top that had the smaller variation of the Uchiha Clan below the collar and bandages that he wore during his encounter with Itachi right before Orochimaru took control of his body and demolished the piece of clothing, still bearing the wounds from the heated intense battle. Slowly getting up from his position and holding his injured arm, Sasuke picked up his katana, which he thought to be discarded after he attempted to break through Itachi's Susanoō and was buried under a layer of snow, and, deciding not to freeze to death, headed towards a building located behind a mountain due to a Chinook wind whipping his raven black hair around his face as Sasuke tried to keep himself warm despite his current condition and the Will of Fire that burned brightly in his veins.

_'I have to find some shelter soon, or I'll die out here.' _Sasuke thought just before he heard a loud rumbling out of nowhere and he looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Then, upon realizing that it was his stomach, he headed into a small cave and began unpacking his rations.

As he ate, Sasuke noticed a dark blue sphere with a light blue orb flashing continuously was at the very back of the cave. He wondered if this was the reason why he ended up here, if he could find out what 'here' was. Shrugging, Sasuke picked up his black cloak and headed out in the blistering cold.

His sandals dug into the deep snow as he made his way towards a building located up ahead, almost freezing the blood coursing through his legs and almost getting hypothermia and frostbitten feet as Sasuke slipped into the building. Instantly, he felt the warmth of the area reheating his body, his cloak slipping off his broad shoulders as he did so.

Inside, he found nothing but a teleporter atop a flight of stairs, and, despite his curiosity, Sasuke stepped onto it, suddenly feeling his body being elevated to yet another teleporter atop a floating island located above the clouds. He then stepped off the stairs and looked at his surroundings in complete awe, even though he didn't admit it. The warm sun melted the snow from his midnight hair and Sasuke could feel the blood coursing through his feet again. It was certain that he wasn't clearly in Konoha or any of the hidden villages, but Kami, Sasuke didn't remember actually seeing this place while he was under Orochimaru's rule.

_'Where am I?'_ Sasuke asked himself as he entered a building next to the other land bridge located at a steep hill and upon learning that he was thrown 10991 years in the past, in the Kingdom of Zeal along with three other people and the mysterious Prophet as told to him by a wind spirit named Doreen, Sasuke Uchiha left the city of Enhasa and, after almost bumping into a ten year old boy and his violet colored cat named Janus and Alfador and walking into a spring of recovery that mysteriously healed his wounds, headed towards the teleporter, and took the other teleporter located at the far side to the larger island and headed towards a palace perched atop a mountain after heading towards Kajar, the city of Magic.

Once inside the palace, Sasuke saw the three people that Doreen was talking about. One was a young man who seemed to be a year older than he was and looked exactly like Naruto, with unruly red spiky hair that Sasuke thought could never be tamed, having a katana on his right side, an orange ascot tied around his neck as well as a light blue bag adorned with a tiger tooth, wearing a short sleeved green shirt under a sleeveless blue vest, with a long white bandanna wrapped around his forehead with two ends dangling in the back, brown gauntlets on both sides of his arms, brown boots and baggy tan pants.

_'Why do I always get the spiky haired guys? First Naruto and now him?'_ Sasuke thought to himself as he realised that the spiky red haired young man was traveling with a young woman about the same age as the young Uchiha with her long strawberry blonde hair tied in a high ponytail that almost reminded him of Ino due to her crystal blue eyes, wearing a white sleeveless top and white pants along with a pair of sandals, armed with a crossbow alongside a quiver of arrows and gold bracelets on her arms, and a nineteen year old young woman with her shoulder length lavender hair tucked inside the helmet on her head and was wearing glasses similar to Karin, armed with a hammer and something that Sasuke could easily tell was a gun due to the visible trigger, wearing a long sleeved green shirt under a sleeveless orange vest and a pair of black shorts along with a kerchief tied around her neck. Glancing around, Sasuke soon noticed a young woman about the exact same age as Hinata with her flowing blue hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing purple robes and had a blue pendant around her neck.

After following the three deeper into the throne room after they charged up a pendant of the blond's that the blue haired young woman had and upon learning that it was a family heirloom crafted out of a special stone called a dreamstone along with watching them fight a giant beast that an eyepatch wearing brown haired man named Dalton called a Golem, Sasuke was suddenly grabbed by the Prophet and was instantly brought to the power-hungry ruler of the Kingdom, Queen Zeal, who threw him with the others until her daughter and the only heir to the throne aside from Janus, a blue haired young woman named Schala, who is the Princess of Zeal, freed them and, despite her mother's commands, told them to free the Guru of Life, Melchior, from the Mountain of Woe until…

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that." A deep voice said.

Schala gasped as the Prophet entered the room where the Mammon Machine once was, his red eyes that kind of looked like the Sharingan (from what Sasuke could tell), slit like a cat's, leered at the four. After he opened the Gate and letting the trio along with the Uchiha to head inside and after placing a pink pyramid seal on it, Schala collapsed back against the wall, panting desperately, her hair disheveled, and her composure clearly gone. The Prophet smirked at her, as he placed his glove back on then left her there to suffer the consequences. Moments passed before she slammed her fist against the wall in utter horror and frustration, "H-How could you?" she screamed.

**X~X~X**

When Tobi arrived at the demolished Uchiha Hideout, he found Itachi's lifeless body but there were no signs of his younger brother except for a time Gate that just sucked Sasuke in.

"What happened, Zetsu?" He asked upon seeing a green man eating plant wearing a black robe accented with red clouds as the plant opened to reveal a black and white man inside the plant.

"Itachi is dead." Zetsu replied, a frown forming on his face.

"That's not a surprise." Tobi said, looking at Itachi's lifeless body.

"However, Sasuke is gone as well." Zetsu said, pointing at the blue sphere next to Itachi.

"I see. Until we meet again." Tobi said, his voice changing as he disappeared before Yamato, Sai, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi arrived.

"We're too late." Yamato said, looking at Sakura.

"Sasuke… no." Sakura sobbed, collapsing onto her knees in front of the Gate.

"Damn it!" Naruto said, feeling tears forming in his eyes at yet another failed attempt to save Sasuke.

"I hope you're okay, Sasuke… where ever you are, I guess..." Kakashi said, looking at the dark clouds and hoping that his former student was alright.

**X~X~X**

**November, 6500, 000, 000 B.C.**

Crono, Marle and Lucca came out in 65000000 BC, from the Gate they took to Zeal.

"Phew..." Crono said as they came out.

Marle thought for a second.

"Why did the Prophet let us go?"

Lucca stepped forward.

"The key to defeating Lavos must exist in that period."

"Wait a moment!" Marle said. "Don't you remember that old man, Belthasar in the future. Perhaps he can help us."

"Good idea!" Crono said. "Let's go see him."

"Hey!" Lucca said. "I'm the one who thinks here!"

Crono turned around.

"And what do you suggest?"

"Let's go see Belthasar."

"I agree with-" Marle began right before she heard something fall. Turning around, she saw nothing until she looked down. "Crono, Lucca! Look!"

Crono and Lucca turned around and looked down to see a young man wearing a sleeveless dark gray shirt with an emblem of a red and white fan embroidered on the collar that either none of them seem to recognize. He had black hair that was styled to look like a raven, with his bangs on either side of his face. On his back was a sword with a matching black scabbard that Crono could tell was a katana due to its size, hooked on a purple piece of rope that seemed to be keeping his pants up alongside a piece of cloth that extended past his knees from his stomach. Bandages covered his arms all the way up to his bicep and a light purple pouch was also hooked on the cloth.

"Who is this guy?" Crono asked, slinging the young man's left arm around his neck.

"I don't know, but we have to get to the End of Time." Marle said as she got hold of his other arm.

"Good thinking, Marle." Lucca said, jumping on the first pterodactyl as she, Crono and Marle headed towards the Mystic Mountains to head back to the End of Time.


	2. Chapter 2: The Fall of Zeal

**Author's Note: I know that you're not allowed to travel through time with four people, but this will change later on.**

**Also, since Sasuke's Susanoō is purple and he has the Amaterasu like his brother, I had his element be the same as Magus.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Chrono Trigger!**

**X~X~X**

When the cold, stoic, once-vengeful Sasuke Uchiha opened his eyes, he saw nothing but a gray void. As he sat up, he saw that he was in an unknown area that was surrounded by the gray void. Off to the right side was a bucket that seemed to be filled to the brim with Granny Smith apples that was next to the door that lead to a room with seven pillars of light, two of them missing, and an unused dock was off to the left side of the area, which was surrounded by a fence that surrounded the entire perimeter of the void as Sasuke got up. He could also see an unused empty bucket that had a spark in it in the top left corner.

"It's a wonder why he has all these weapons on him." A female voice said as Sasuke looked to see the blonde haired young woman from before put a kunai down on the floor next to his other weapons.

"You're up, finally." A male voice said as Sasuke turned to the spiky red haired young man that was holding his sword.

Sasuke took a second to take his sword out of the red haired swordsman's hand. "Where am I?" He asked, grasping the handle of his sword.

"You're at the End of Time." An elderly voice spoke, almost surprising Sasuke.

Sasuke looked up to see an elderly man dressed in a long brown trenchcoat with a matching bowler hat on his head. He had his hands on a small, wooden cane as he looked at the young Uchiha.

"The... End of Time?" Sasuke repeated, looking at the old man.

The old man nodded as he watched Sasuke unclasp his sword. "Yes. Crono found you lying on the ground in the prehistoric age and he brought you over here." He said, addressing the spiky red haired young man as Crono.

"But how did you get to the prehistoric age with us?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

Upon learning that he was in the End of Time as well as knowing the three people as Crono, Marle, and Lucca, the young Uchiha told the trio, as well as everyone that was in the End of Time, about his past life that led to the massacre of his entire clan up to his quest for revenge and Itachi's fated demise that led Sasuke getting himself thrown into 12,0000 B.C. through a time gate.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Marle's voice screeched, almost making Sasuke want to shut her up.

"You're telling us that your older brother slaughtered your entire family and relatives in one night? How awful." Lucca said, breaking down into tears as she remembered the incident with her mother three years ago.

"I see… well, why don't you go and get your new powers?" Crono asked, already getting used to the new swordsman besides him and Frog, who was known as a knight named Glenn.

Sasuke looked at Crono strangely, but shrugged and headed downstairs, narrowly avoiding having his hand bit by a blond haired cave woman named Ayla, who said that he was strong like Crono. The young Uchiha opened the door to find a small room with a koala looking thing in the middle.

"A newcomer! I'm Spekkio, the Master of War and you seem to have Shadow magic in you." It said, looking up at Sasuke and began chanting his magic words. The Uchiha felt a dark purple aura surrounding his body and smirked.

Sasuke left the room shortly after obtaining his new powers and headed up to the gate room, where he saw Crono, Marle, and Lucca standing at the center pillar leading to Proto Dome, 2300 AD.

"By the way," Crono interrupted, walking to Sasuke. "You never told us your name, since you're new."

"Its Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke said to him before he was teleported into Proto Dome.

"That's interesting." Lucca said, observing the spot where Sasuke was once standing as she pushed her glasses up to her face.

"Sasuke Uchiha..." Crono repeated, crossing his arms. "Interesting name he has."

Marle looked at Crono and Lucca. "He's almost as cold as Magus."

"Marle… Oh Gods, I agree with you." Lucca said, nodding at Marle.

Crono nodded. "Let's follow him…"

The trio also entered the Gate and headed towards the Future.

**X~X~X**

**January 2300 A.D.**

After they crossed the ruins of Laboratory 32 by beating Johnny in a bike race, the four entered the Sewer Access where the trio told Sasuke their story and about the impending doom that was to happen in the year 1999 caused by a monstrous alien parasite known as Lavos. At first, Sasuke didn't believe them but took his time to absorb the information that he was given.

"Alright, let me get this straight. You guys are trying to prevent a life absorbing beast that fell from space sixty five million years ago, that a wizard tried to summon to his castle in the middle ages, from destroying the entire world in the year 1999 and wiping out all signs of life?" Sasuke asked, looking at the trio as he filled the holes in the blanks. "And you guys think that 12,0000 B.C. is really the time that you'll beat this thing?"

"That's right, and is it true that you once had three black commas on the back of your neck that allowed you to transform into a winged demon that this... snake man gave you?" Marle asked.

"Orochimaru." Lucca said, pushing her glasses up to her face.

"Yes. He gave me the Cursed Seal so that I can have power to kill my brother and restore my clan." Sasuke said upon realizing that the Cursed Seal of Heaven was gone.

"But what I don't get is that how can you restore your entire clan if you're just one guy, Sasuke?" Crono asked, crossing his arms and looking at the young Uchiha.

"Good point, Crono…" Marle said, folding her arms also.

"Not even I could wrap my brain around that." Lucca said, adjusting her glasses.

Sasuke stiffened as he felt his heart suddenly stop. He hadn't even thought about that. Lowering his head, the young Uchiha felt a hand clasp on his forearm.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm sure you'll restore your clan somehow." Marle said, smiling.

"Let's talk about this another time. We have to find this Belthasar guy that you three keep on talking about." Sasuke said as he led the team downstairs, where they solved a bunch of puzzles until they came across a giant centipede looking monster talking to a scout that Crono, Marle, and Lucca had encountered before.

Sasuke smirked and grasped his sword in reverse angle. Stunned and unsure what his reaction was for, Crono stood still for a moment as Sasuke formed a barrier of Chidori around his body, literally surprising him and Marle just as they were about to ready their weapons. Crono and Marle both froze as the raven haired young man leapt into action with his katana out.

_'By the Gods, how is he controlling that lightning?'_ Marle asked herself, putting an arrow on her crossbow.

_'Oh Gods, it looks like Magus and I aren't the only ones who can use lightning magic.'_ Crono thought, taking out his katana from his scabbard as Marle and Lucca combined their powers to form a cylinder of fire and ice. Crono felt his heart accelerate as he surveyed Sasuke's incredible speed and suddenly, his thoughts hit him hard.

_'That's not magic at all. I think this guy's using some sort of chakra around his body that's similar to my lightning based spells.'_ Crono thought, shaking his head from his thoughts.

Crono wrapped his fingers around his sword and drove it into the legs of the creature as he and Sasuke exchanged blows to the beast until Sasuke sliced the tail of the creature with a fūma shuriken and surged his Chidori through his sword as he stabbed its heart. Sheathing his sword, Crono let his head fall as he gasped for air as he tried to recover his shaking form. His eyes slowly rose to meet his obsidian onyx ones as Sasuke sheathed his own katana after he looked at the dead beast as the massive creature gave out one last screech, rolled onto his back, and died.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked the trio, not looking at them. As the three nodded, Crono walked up to Sasuke.

"What was that surge of lightning that you had around your body? It was pretty intense compared to my lightning spells." Crono said, still panting. It took ever ounce of will-power for Crono to keep himself in check as Sasuke smirked and took interest at what he was talking about.

"That was called Chidori Stream." Sasuke said, looking at him.

"Chidori Stream?" Crono and Marle repeated in unison, confused by the name.

"Literally meaning 'One-Thousand birds Stream'. The sound that it makes sounds like a thousand birds chirping, and when I channel it through my snake sword, I can instantly numb my target that the sword makes contact with, but it consumes an extremely large amount of my chakra." Sasuke said, looking at Crono and Marle with a smirk on his face.

Crono raised an eyebrow and let his head fall to his shoulder. "I thought so. That's incredible." He said with wracked breath as Sasuke led them towards the Keeper's Dome.

"So..." Lucca said. "This is the Keepers Dome."

They walked inside, but found out that Belthasar wasn't there.

But his Nu was.

Crono walked forward to it.

It was sleeping.

"Eh... Excuse me..."

The Nu woke up.

"Please do not disturb my slumber."

Crono nodded and walked into the room.

"Look!" Lucca said, and pointed on a door.

It had Zeal engraved on it.

Crono held up Marle's pendant.

The door opened, and they walked in. The room they came into had one more door on the other wall. As they walked towards it, a voice said:

"To those who opened the door..."

"Crono! Was that you?" Lucca said, suprised.

Crono shook his head.

"Was it you?" Marle asked, looking at Sasuke.

"I didn't say anything." Sasuke said, shrugging his shoulders.

The voice continued.

"I am Belthasar, the Guru of Reason. I once lived in the Kingdom of Zeal. A great disaster in Zeal somehow threw me into this era. To my surprise, Lavos exists here, and I suspect, in other periods as well. Aeons ago, Lavos descended from heavens. Burrowing deep into the world's core, he began to consume our planet's energy, and grow stronger. Lavos disappeared briefly when he was summoned away by a great wizard who lived in Guardia, in the year 600. In 1999, Lavos claims this area, and reigns from high atop Death Peak. Lavos continues to replicate... like a giant parasite, he is consuming our world. Forced to live here, I continued to conduct research on Lavos. But I am growing old. And it's impossible to keep sane in such trying times. So before I lose it completely, I shall safeguard my data, and my ultimate creation... How I long to return home... But I have grown frail... So you... YOU, who have opened the door! I leave things in your hands. Only by mastering time, itself, do you stand a chance against Lavos. The odds will be against you... But you are true heroes. The world is in your hands. Open now, the last door, and take what you find there. My last invention... My "Wings of Time" ..."

"Wings of Time!" Lucca exclaimed.

Crono opened the last door. They came into a big room, and in it was a huge machine. It looked like a silver cylinder.

"This must be the machine Belthasar spoke of." Lucca said.

Robo beeped. "The Wings of Time! I believe I have heard of this device."

"Is this it?" Sasuke asked.

Crono looked back on the door they came from and then saw something block it.

"Hey!" he shouted.

Then he saw that the thing who blocked the door was moving inside. Then he realized that it was the seats for the machine someone pushed in. Then Crono saw that it was the Nu.

"Scared you, didn't I? It's me... BELTHASAR!"

"Say what!" Lucca said, surprised.

"I guess you must be the guy that we've been looking for…" Sasuke said, looking at the Nu.

"I copied my memory into this thing. What do you think? Anyway,there's something I need to explain. Namely, how to transcend time! But first, hop aboard!"

Crono, Robo and Lucca each took a seat, and the seats hovered up into the machine.

"First." Belthasar said. "Name my time machine." Crono thought for a long time.

"How about 'Lucca I'." Lucca suggested.

Crono shook his head. "Nope. Epoch. That's a good name for a time machine."

Lucca nodded.

"Okay. Better than 'Marle I'."

Belthasar explained the controls, and then the Nu fell back into sleep.

"Let's take this back to the End of Time and see what that old man has to say about it." Sasuke said as he also jumped into the time machine.

Crono nodded and switched some buttons.

The surrounding environment turned into lines, and then everything looked like some red-yellow mixture.

"Warp speed?" Lucca said. "Epoch is capable of THIS?"

They landed just outside the main room. Crono jumped out, followed by Robo and Lucca.

"Hey." The old man said. They walked to the others and took a seat.

"Interesting. So he actually finished the 'Wings of Time'. In fact, he gave his life for it. Why not put that device to good use. Take it to the ancient land of Magic."

"We will." Crono said. "Marle? Frog? It's your turn now."

"Okay!" Marle said and rushed to Epoch.

Frog walked easily and took a seat in the back. Crono placed himself in the front and then helped Marle to get in. Crono set the time meter on 12000 BC.

**X~X~X**

With a flash, Epoch traveled through time to 12000 BC, the dark ages.

When the environment turned normal, Sasuke, Crono, Marle and Frog could see nothing but snow.

Crono opened the capsule glass,and jumped out, followed by Marle, Sasuke and Frog.

"What are we going to do now?" Marle asked.

"I don't know." Crono answered. "Schala told us to save some guru on the mountain of Woe."

Marle nodded. "Yeah. I guess that's best to do. The Prophet will see us if we go up there."

Frog pointed on the floating mountain. "That one?"

Crono looked at it. "Could be. Don't know for sure. Let's go there. It's our best alternative for the moment."

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But we can't take any chances."

With high speed, they walked towards the floating mountain.

"Look! A cave!" Marle suddenly exclaimed.

Crono looked after a cave and after a few seconds found it. Then he looked closer on the mountain. It was attached with a chain on an island far out in the ice cold ocean.

"Let's check that cave out. It will hopefully lead us to that island."

The others agreed.

"This looks so... Man made!" Marle said as they entered.

"Looks like any ordinary cave from what I possibly could tell." Sasuke said, a fierce scowl on his face.

"Yeah!" Crono said and looked around on the cave. "You think this is..."

"The village of the Earthbound Ones?" a voice said.

They looked around, trying to see who it was.

"Calm down!" Crono said. "We are not any Enlighten Ones."

"Speak for yourself…" Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"Then come in."

Crono snuck further into the cave, followed by Frog.

Marle came just after him.

Sasuke followed her last.

A man waited outside a new cave opening.

"This is Algetty, the village of the Earthbound Ones."

Crono nodded and entered.

Many people, not very unlike them in the dark future, sat around a camp fire.

"You're from above?" a man said.

Crono nodded.

"The Queen put the Mammon machine in the Ocean palace to absorb Lavos's energy. Is that safe?"

Crono shook his head. "I dunno."

"She locked the guru of Life up on the Mountain of Woe for opposing her. The situation is hopeless."

"Not hopeless." An old man said. "The guru of Life said that sir Janus has stronger powers than even miss Schala. Janus must be using her and the Queen to get to Lavos."

"Does every Enlighten One treat you bad?" Marle asked.

"Probably." Sasuke said, crossing his arms. "Considering that they've been forced to live down here by the Queen herself."

A woman shook her head.

"No. The three Gurus and miss Schala treat us as equal. But now when the Gurus are gone..."

"All life is doomed…" Sasuke added.

Crono could hear a few kids saying:

"Wonder when miss Schala's coming to play with us?"

Marle looked on Crono.

"What a terrible place... I mean terrible time! Let's do something! Let's go to that mountain and pick down the Guru."

Crono nodded. He turned to the elder.

"Excuse me, but... How do I get to the Mountain of Woe?"

"What are you going to do there?"

"Save the Guru."

The old man look skeptic first, but then he changed his mind. He pointed on a new cave opening.

"Follow that cave, and you'll get there. But beware! There might be monsters in there."

"Don't worry." Marle said.

"We'll be careful." Sasuke said.

Sasuke, Crono, Frog and Marle walked into the cave, to search for the lost Guru. The cave was dark and scary, but luckily, didn't contain any monsters so far...

"How long can it be?" Crono asked, didn't really caring about what the answer would be, just interested to start a conversation.

"I don't know." Marle said. "How far away did the island seemed to be?"

Crono shook his head. "Dunno."

"At least a few kilometers." Frog said.

"Okay..." Marle said. "How long have we been walking?"

"Not that long." Crono said and smiled.

"I KNOW THAT." Marle said, trying to sound irritated.

"You know..." Crono said. "You're cute when you're angry."

Marle looked at him.

Crono didn't really expect this reaction.

"I'M NOT ANGRY AT ALL! GOT IT?"

"Sure!" Crono said and smiled as he looked away.

Marle looked in the opposite direction.

"Ouch! What the heck was that for, Sasuke?!" Crono rubbed his head and glared at Sasuke, who just punched him on the head.

Sasuke groaned as he shook his head. He knew that Crono was exactly like Naruto for some reason.

" 'Tis isn't the right time to think about ladies." Frog said and held his Masamune harder.

"I agree with you." Sasuke added, giving Crono his infamous Uchiha glare as he increased his pace, moving at a speed even shinobi would be amazed at.

"Fine!" Marle said. "Sounds like you three heroes can make it without me!" She stopped.

Frog croaked. "Thou missed my point."

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked, glaring at Marle as she walked past him. "You really are… annoying!"

"Call me annoying again and I'll freeze you!" Marle said, glaring back at Sasuke.

Crono walked to her.

"Sorry, Marle... I didn't mean to..."

"Well, well..." Marle said. "Whatever you meant, I guess I just took it wrong. Now, we've got things to do. Let's hurry."

She walked even faster and put an neo-electric arrow on her new crossbow.

"Look!" Marle suddenly said and stopped. "A chain!"

And there it was. Just a small chain in the ground, leading upwards.

"There's an other one!" Crono said and pointed deeper into the cave.

That one was much bigger. Probably more then one meter width.

It led upwards through a small tunnel.

Marle ran forward to it.

"I think we can pass here!"

"No, you can't..." a voice said.

"Who?" Marle asked.

As a response, someone kicked her in the face.

A brown imp came walking down the chain.

"You'll regret that!" Crono said and leaped forward with his sword.

But something big came in his way.

Sasuke's eyes widened at this.

"Stop, you moron!" Sasuke said but his words didn't reach Crono.

Crono leaped into it, and was thrown back.

They looked up on the newcomers.

It was two big beasts, one red and one blue.

The imp laughed. "Haha! You can't pass here!"

"I can't agree there!" Crono said and slashed his sword against the red beast.

His sword made a small cut, but didn't get through the deep skin. The red beast ran him over.

"Aoohohhaaa..." Crono yelled. "Well... I'm used to this technique..."

Frog held up his Masamune, jumped up, and dove down. His sword made a deep cut on the red beast.

The imp jumped up on the blue, and directed them both to crush Frog. But being a frog had a few positive sides.

Frog simply jumped up, and evaded the attack.

"Grrr..." the imp said.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on the imp.

"You're mine!" Sasuke said, pulling his katana out and activating his Sharingan as he did so.

Sasuke gripped his sword and stabbed the red beast in one swift thrust all the way to the hilt.

But his blade didn't pierce through the skin.

Sasuke was also thrown back as the blue beast trampled him.

Marle summoned her ice powers and fired an ice crystal on the blue beast. It's wounds healed.

"What?! The blue one absorbs ice powers!"

Crono nodded. "Let's see how he handles lightning!"

Crono gathered all magic energy and fired lightning in every direction. The lightning barely damaged any of their opponents.

"We need Lucca!" Crono said.

"I agree..." Marle said as she fired an arrow on the blue beast. "...for once."

Crono jumped back to evade an attack from the red beast. "You don't hate her, do you?"

"No." Marle said as she reloaded. "But she hates me."

"Stop talking." Frog said from the other edge of the room. Crono picked up his gate key and activated a new gate.

"It works even here!" Crono exclaimed as a new gate grew.

Sasuke groaned as he tightened the grip on his sword.

"Just shut up already." Sasuke growled, grasping his katana and slashing the imp. He narrowly avoided getting himself trampled over by the red beast.

"Who'll go?" Marle said. "You can't, Frog is out of reach... Then it have to be me."

Crono nodded. "I call ya back."

Marle jumped into the gate, and Lucca came out.

"Whoooaa..." She looked on the two beasts. "Hey! Where did ya find these guys?"

"I'll explain later!" Crono said and slashed after the imp. "Roast the blue one!"

Lucca nodded. She summoned her magic and placed a fire explosion under the blue beast. It died.

"Yep..." Lucca said. "Just leave it to Lucca the great!" Then the red one ran her over.

Crono dove forward and drilled his sword into the red beast.

"Frog! Use you water magic!" Frog nodded, and summoned his powers.

"No wait!" Crono said. "Gimme something for my sword."

Frog nodded. He summoned his water powers and fired a bubble high up in the air. Crono jumped up, placed himself inside the bubble and dived down with water surrounding him. The red beast died.

"Bigger they are..." Crono started but...

"Will you shut up?" Sasuke asked, sheathing his sword.

"We know the rest." Lucca interrupted.

"Where is the brown imp?" Frog asked and looked around.

"Gone." Crono said.

"We don't have time for this." Lucca said. "Where are we anyway?"

Crono looked up. Small water drops came down from the ceiling. "Under water."

"SAY WHAT?"

"We're under water. We found the earthbound village, and a cave to the floating mountain led from there. And here we are."

Lucca nodded. "I see."

Crono picked up the gate key. "I guess it's most fair to let Robo in, right?"

Lucca nodded. "Sure."

Crono created a gate, and Lucca stepped into it, and Robo came out.

"Let's go!" Crono said. "To the top!"

Frog took the lead up the chain, followed by Crono, who was explaining what had happened.

They climbed up the gigantic chain and got up on Mt. Woe. The fog made it possible to see only a few meters ahead, so it made the climbing difficult.

"How far have we've been climbing?" Crono asked after an eternity.

"Only a few hundred meters." Robo answered.

Crono carefully placed his feet on safe places, not to fall down.

"I think it's getting easier from here." Frog said.

Crono looked up and could see him climb up on an edge.

"Yes it is!" He said when he was up.

Crono hurried up and looked around. No more climbing. They could walk on paths up to the top from here.

"What's that noise?" Robo said as he came up.

Crono listened, but couldn't hear anything. "I don't hear anything."

"Same here." Sasuke said, shaking his head.

"Me neither." Frog said.

"Well..." Robo said. "I guess that my hearing system is malfunctioning."

They walked up on a path, leading to the top. Suddenly a gargoyle jumped down.

"Hey!" Crono said. "You live in this period too?"

The gargoyle threw a big rock on him.

"Aaaooo..." Crono yelled.

Frog drew the Masamune and jumped for the gargoyle. It moved quickly away, and made a loud noise.

"Not good." Robo said. "I think he is calling for his friends."

"You think?!" Sasuke said, irritated enough to leave them.

Two more came jumping down.

Crono swung his sword after one of them, but missed. Three more came down.

"They're getting more for each second!" Crono yelled.

"Let us go up there." Frog said and pointed on a plateau. Crono nodded and ran up, to avoid any stones. They came up to an open battlefield. About twenty gargoyles came after them.

"Moments like this..." Crono said. "Calls for some magic."

Lightning flew out of him and knocked down most of the gargoyles.

Frog slashed two with his sword, and Robo hit one. The remaining fled in panic.

Crono looked after them.

"Let's go." He finally said. They walked up the mountain.

"I..." Robo said.

Sasuke grabbed Crono's shoulder and motioned him to turn around.

Crono turned around. "Huh?"

"Can Lucca take my place?" Crono looked strange at him.

"Sure... But why?"

"I fear... That I won't be useful here."

"Okay..." Crono opened a new gate. "Hey! It works even here!"

Robo walked in and Lucca came out.

"You're up?" Crono nodded.

"Then Marle shall take mine." Frog said and walked into the gate before it closed.

Marle came out. "Hi! What's happening?"

"We've almost reached the top of Mt. Woe."

Marle nodded. "Okay... So the guru should be here somewhere?"

Crono nodded.

"Let's go to the top and search there." Lucca suggested.

"I agree with you." Sasuke said, nodding.

Crono nodded.

They walked up.

"Look!" Crono said as they reached the highest platform.

He pointed on a cage, not unlike an ice cube.

"The Guru of Life's trapped in here." Marle said.

Then, the cage faded out.

"It's disappearing!" Lucca exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Crono said.

Sasuke rested a hand on his sword, preparing himself for another onslaught.

"Get back and prepare yourselves!" Sasuke demanded, taking out his katana from his scabbard.

In the same moment, a huge thing came up from a big hole in the ground. It looked like a well-armored machine, with two huge arms.

In a matter of seconds, Crono was holding in his sword, Marle had her crossbow ready, and Lucca was holding her gun.

Crono jumped up and used his spin-cut technique. He aimed for the big head, and cut his sword deep into the... thing. It counterattacked by firing flashes between it's arms, and by that way created a huge discharge.

Crono felt like a doll, when he was tossed down to the ground. He looked up. Marle and Lucca was also on the ground. Crono resisted his pain,and rose up. Then two huge fire explosions came out of it's hands. Crono was thrown down again.

"Everybody okay?" Crono said as he looked up.

Marle's burned face gave him an answer.

"Stupid question..."

Marle sat up and fired an neo-electric arrow on the face. Flashes appeared around the face, and it gave her enough time to cast her cure spell on Crono and on herself, before it got normal.

"Marle, watch it!" Crono screamed, and Marle rolled to the right, just to avoid being crushed by the monsters hands. Crono fired a lightning bolt on the head, but didn't do very much damage.

"Lucca?" No response.

"Marle! Cure her!" Marle nodded and casted her cure spell on Lucca. She slowly rose. She picked up a small grenade from her bag and threw it on the monster. The monster covered itself with it's arms.

Crono jumped up and slashed the face, but his sword was too weak. Marle looked on Lucca. Lucca nodded.

"Antipode!" Marle fired an ice crystal, and Lucca made it explode with her fire powers. A big crack appeared on the monster's helm. One arm moved up, and somehow revived the main body.

"It's useless as long as it got its arms!" Marle yelled. "Crono! Cut them off!"

Crono leaped forward and slashed one hand. It fell off. The other one knocked Crono down.

Marle ran forward and casted a cure spell on him, while Lucca made a fire explosion on the main body.

When Crono got up, he cut off the other arm.

"Let's toast him!" Lucca said and launched a fire coil.

Crono jumped up, and caught it and dived down, to slash the face. His firesword made a big crack. Marle fired a standard arrow,aiming for the crack, but missed with a few centimeters.

Crono jumped up again, but suddenly, two new arms came up and stopped him.

"Where did they come from?" Crono yelled.

The two new hands fired a new fire explosion, knocking Crono, Marle and Lucca to the ground.

Lightning had emitted from Sasuke's entire body as he charged in but the left hand punched him in the stomach, knocking the young Uchiha out.

Marle searched desperately for an ether, but couldn't find any.

"Damn..."

Crono grabbed his sword and looked up. "You're going down!"

He jumped up, just to cut off one of the arms, but the monster had learned.

Crono was knocked down again. Marle suddenly found an explosive arrow. Not much, but something.

"Crono! Keep the arms away from the head!"

Crono nodded and leaped forward. One arm smashed him to the ground, and he didn't move.

Sasuke panted harshly as he pressed his palm to the side of his upper body, wondering if one of his ribs was broken. He got to his feet, channeled his Chidori Stream through his sword and raced towards the arms, causing one to fall off.

"One down!" Sasuke said, smirking.

Lucca fired a shot with her gun, and made a big hole in the arm.

Then she placed a fire explosion between the two arms. Both arms were knocked in two different directions.

"That's your chance! Go!" Marle aimed for the crack.

"You think you can hit it?" Lucca shouted.

"Trust me." Marle said and pulled the trigger. With a flashy explosion,the monster disappeared in thousands of pieces.

"Have I ever told you that you are a master shooter?" Crono suddenly said.

"Crono!" Marle said and ran to him. "I thought you were out."

"Not me." Crono said with a smile. Marle and Lucca helped him up.

"He was a pathetic loser." Sasuke said, sheathing his katana.

The crystal slowly faded back. The outer hull scattered.

"M, Melchior?" Marle said and looked on the man who was standing in front of her eyes.

"Indeed, I am Melchior. Have we met before?" Melchior said.

Then Crono remembered that people had been talking about Melchior. But he hadn't made the connection. But now every card fell on it's place.

"More importantly, can you tell me anything about the Ocean Palace?" Melchior said.

"It's almost complete!" Crono said. "And the Queen will move the Mammon Machine down."

"Which is not a good sign considering that Lavos is also down there as well." Sasuke added, crossing his arms.

"I see..." Melchior said. "The Queen has degenerated to that degree... The more energy the Mammon Machine absorbs, the further the Queen degenerates. Her spirit has been stolen by the infamous immortal, Lavos." Then the ground started to shake.

"We must flee! The seal has been broken! The mountain will collapse!"

"What seal?" Crono asked, but didn't get any answer.

Sasuke looked at Crono.

"Why are you always this stupid?" Sasuke asked, looking at Crono.

"Elder! The Mountain of Woe is about to crumble!" a man said panicly.

The elder of the Earthbound village walked quickly up to the surface. He saw how the gigantic chain, which was attached in the mountain scattered and the mountain fell.

**X~X~X**

"Lavos sleeps deep underground, while consuming the energy of this planet. If the Mammon Machine is brought closer to him, he may awaken! We must hurry before it's too late!" Melchior said.

They were inside the elder's room.

In here were Crono, Lucca, Marle, Sasuke, Melchior and the elder.

A man came in.

"Elder! Schala's here."

"What? Schala's here?" Melchior said and turned to the room opening.

They all did. Schala came into the room, followed by Janus.

"Miss Schala... Why have you come to such a miserable place?" the Elder said.

Schala looked at him with a kind look. "Stop degenerating yourselves! We Enlighten Ones were once the same as you. The only difference is that we are under Lavos's control..."

Schala was so glad to see Melchior, she didn't notice Crono, Marle, Sasuke or Lucca.

"Melchior!" she said. "After the Mountain of Woe fell, I thought I would find you here!"

Melchior put his hand on her shoulder. "Is it safe for you to leave the palace?"

Schala looked down. "That no longer matters. The Ocean Palace is now operational!"

_'Damn it!'_ Sasuke cursed.

Melchior looked down. "Then all is lost!"

"But without me, the Mammon Machine won't work." Schala said. "I have turned my back against that evil device!"

"We'll help!" Crono said. "To do whatever's necessary."

"Why do I have to get myself into these situations?" Sasuke mentally asked himself, but nodded nonetheless. "Same here, Your Highness."

"Oh, you!" Schala said. "How did you... no time... I'm glad you're safe."

"I've kept the Skyway open. Hurry! You must stop... my mother!"

"Why don't we keep it right there..." a voice said. They all turned around.

"Dalton!" Schala exclaimed.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk my dear." Dalton said. "Your presence is required elsewhere!"

Melchior stepped forward. "Dalton! Leave her alone!"

Dalton laughed. "Ah! The geezer speaks!" He smiled.

"Silence, old man!" Dalton launched a fireball, which threw Melchior back, and in a matter of seconds, Dalton had ran to Schala.

"Argh!" Melchior yelled.

Dalton hit Schala, which forced her to her knees. He looked down on her. "You'll come to the Ocean Palace with me."

Then he turned to the others. "Do anything funny, and Schala's dust. Got it?"

Janus ran forward to him. "Schala!"

Dalton hit Janus and made him fly across the room. "The Queen's children all seem to have a problem with authority, don't they?"

In less than one second, Crono had his sword up, Marle her crossbow, Sasuke his katana, and Lucca her gun.

"Stay back. The life of this woman means nothing to me!"

Crono holstered his sword.

_'Damn it all.'_ Sasuke thought, holstering his sword as well.

Dalton looked down on Schala. "Shall we get going, Schala, dear? Your mother awaits!"

With a flash, Dalton, Schala and Janus disappeared.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed, shielding his eyes.

Melchior looked right into the wall.

"Melchior!" Lucca exclaimed.

"I'm all right. But we must save Schala, or else..."

The elder walked up. "Impossible! Even though it's coming from YOU, Melchior..."

Melchior looked down. "If the Queen is allowed to fulfill her dream, all life as we know it, is doomed!"

Crono shook his head. "Not as long I can do something about it!"

Melchior looked on him. "You're willing to challenge the queen?"

Crono nodded.

"You've done so much for us... and I don't even know your names!"

Marle giggled. "You'll find out soon enough!"

Melchior didn't really understand what she said. "What ARE you talking about?"

Lucca pulled on Crono's arm. "Come on, Crono!"

"I will do anything they're not ready for." Sasuke murmured, a smirk crossing his lips.

They turned around, but Melchior stopped them.

"Wait, take this with you. It's made from the same red stone as the Mammon Machine. With it, you can destroy the machine!" He handed over a red knife.

Never had anyone in the Zeal kingdom seen something like this.

Four people, two boys and two girls, ran across the floating continent like there was a fire.

Crono ran into the transporter cave followed by Lucca and Marle. They used it to get up to the palace.

"Wait..." Marle said, exhausted. "I... Let's switch party members, okay?"

Crono nodded. "Sure. Lucca?"

Lucca nodded, also exhausted.

Perhaps Crono was also exhausted, but he didn't care.

"I'll call you back!" He said. "Let's switch to... Ayla and Robo."

He created a gate, and the girls entered. Robo and Ayla came out.

"Where Ayla at?" Ayla said.

"Outside the palace." Crono said. "The Ocean Palace is complete! And the Queen got Schala! If they get the Mammon Machine working, Lavos will awaken!"

"And we need to get down there as soon as possible." Sasuke added.

Robo beeped panicly. "Let's hurry!"

So, the boy, the primitive woman, the avenger and the robot ran straight into the palace and headed for the Queen's room.

The people had probably not seen a robot before, but Crono didn't care.

Just outside the entrance to the hall, two maids stood. They looked hypnotized.

"The Ocean Palace is complete. Zeal will rule forever!" One said.

"Where's Schala?" Crono asked.

"The Queen took Schala with her to the Ocean Palace. We Enlighten Ones will finally attain immortality!"

"That was everything I wanted to know." Crono said and entered the Queen's hall.

Once they came in, they saw Dalton sitting on the Queen's throne.

"Phooey! Why is the Prophet allowed inside while I'm stuck with guard duty?"

Crono, Ayla and Robo lined up.

"Ha! There you are... I let the Prophet go, knowing he'd mess up sooner or later. But I've no use for you anymore. You're history!"

"I don't think so." Sasuke said.

Dalton let an iron orb fall from the ceiling, to land on Ayla.

"Urufff..."

Crono jumped up and slashed Dalton with his sword.

Robo opened a few holes in his hull. Laser beams came out of them, and searched for Dalton.

Sasuke unleashed his Chidori discharge, ran the current through his sword, and slashed Dalton with it. Dalton was forced to his knees.

"N...nooooooo! I'm going to be immortal! I CAN'T be beaten now!"

Dalton hovered up. A gate opened under him. He dove down in it.

Crono watched it. "Let's follow. I bet it leads to the Ocean Palace."

Sasuke nodded. "Okay."

Crono jumped in, followed by Sasuke, Robo and Ayla.

The room they came into had almost all black walls. On some places, there were small holes in the ground, with a yellow-red liquid in.

There was an opening on the south side. Mune was standing there.

"The black energy grows... Something scary is waking up!"

Mune jumped up, spun around, and disappeared.

**X~X~X**

Meanwhile in the mammon chamber, deeper inside the palace…

"Schala, raise the power of the Mammon Machine to its limit!" Zeal said.

Schala looked down. "..."

"Schala! You dare to disobey me?!"

"All right, mother..." Schala raised her hands and the room turned red.

Looking in excitement were 8 highranked Zeal people. In there was also the Prophet.

"Oh.. what bright splendor! The incredible power of Lavos!" The Queen exclaimed.

Schala collapsed. "Aagh..."

The Prophet turned to her, but didn't say anything.

"..."

**X~X~X**

Through the halls of the Ocean Palace, Crono, Ayla, Sasuke and Robo ran.

"Halt!" Some guards shouted, but Crono ignored them.

"This way!" Crono ran down some stairs.

After an extra long stair, they came into a big room. Four soldiers were waiting for them.

"Sorry, but you won't get any further!"

Crono drew his sword. "That's a mistake."

The soldiers were using some stick-looking things as weapons.

Probably magic, but Crono didn't want to know.

Crono swung his sword against one of them, who parried with it's stick.

Robo tackled one over the edge, and Ayla kicked down two.

Finally, Crono pulled back his sword, crunched, and rolled over the side.

He kicked the soldier, and was just going to cut him with his sword, when he didn't like the position. So, he simply pushed him off the edge.

"Let's go!"

They ran down more stairs.

Suddenly, a mage got in their way.

"And where are you going?"

"To rescue Schala. Tell us where she and Zeal are or die." Sasuke threatened, pointing his katana at the mage.

The mage created four fire balls over his head and launched each of them on each of the members.

Sasuke deflected one with his sword.

Crono got two.

After Ayla had resist the shock caused by the fire ball, she jumped up and kicked the mage backward.

"Physical won't work!" The mage laughed.

"Crono! Give me lightning!" Ayla said.

Crono nodded and fired a lightning bolt on Ayla. Ayla's body began to glow, and she jumped forward and touched the mage.

Crono's powerful lightning energy was transferred between them, and the mage was transformed into something black and smoking.

"Let us continue!" Robo said.

"Right!" Sasuke said.

Robo took the lead and continued further into the dark palace. Then, they met Masa.

"The ancient Red Rock has been passed down through the ages. From it, a magic pendant, and a knife were made. We embody Melchior's dreams, sealed within the knife... Now hurry, if you plan to confront the queen. We're counting on you!" he said.

Then he jumped up, spun around, and disappeared.

**X~X~X**

Meanwhile in the mammon room, deeper in the palace.

"Ahh, I can feel it! The pulse of eternal life! Ha, ha, ha...!" Zeal said.

Schala's hands started to shake uncontrollably.

"D...dark.. force...wild energy! Aughhh!" She collapsed.

The Prophet turned to her. "...!"

A servant walked forward. "Th, the Mammon Machine! Your majesty, it's too dangerous!"

Zeal fired a lightning bolt, which threw the servant backward.

"Mother..!" Schala exclaimed.

"Don't stop Schala! We're almost there... Immortality will be ours! Zeal will have the glory it deserves! Mwa, ha, ha... Too long have I waited!"

X~X~X

"What IS this thing?" Crono exclaimed.

"It looks like an elevator device." Robo answered.

They had ended up in a cylinder former room, on a platform, high above the ground.

"If my calculations are correct, all we have to do is push this button." Robo said.

He pressed one button. But instead of moving, ten soldiers came in.

"Oops..." Crono said. "Wrong button."

"Idiot…" Sasuke said, pulling his sword out.

"We are outnumbered!" Robo said.

"Ayla strong! Ayla fight!" Ayla said.

The soldiers placed themselves in a circle around Crono, Sasuke, Ayla and Robo.

"Max cyclone?" Crono asked.

"As you wish." Robo answered.

Crono jumped up on Robo, and they both spun around. A shockwave came out of them, striking all enemies down.

"Nice." Crono said when he jumped down.

"Not nice." Ayla said when all of them rose.

Crono fired lightning on many of them, Sasuke slashed, Ayla kicked and Robo tackled. It didn't take very long.

The elevator was filled of dead corpses when they were finished.

"Let's move on." Crono said and pressed another button.

The elevator moved down. The new room was larger then most of the past.

In the middle of it was Dalton standing.

He was smiling.

"You're starting to tick me off." Sasuke said, grasping his sword.

"You made it THIS far. Maybe I underestimated you... But this is the end! THEY will take care of you! Come, Golem Twins!"

A big portal opened, and two Golems came out. Laughing, Dalton teleported himself away.

"Strange creatures!" Robo said.

"Yeah." Crono replied. "But I've met one of these before."

"Before you guys had met me, that is." Sasuke added to be more specific.

Robo throttled up, and tackled the left Golem. It counterattacked with an iron orb.

Robo went out.

Crono summoned his lightning magic and fired lightning in every direction.

The right Golem copied the tech and used it.

Ayla and Crono were knocked to the ground.

Sasuke darted around to avoid getting hit and slashed the left one with his sword as hard as he could before he got hit by an iron orb.

The right Golem casted a heal spell on it's twin.

Crono got up and leaped forward with his sword.

He drilled his sword deep into the body of the left Golem.

It waved with it's hands. Ayla jumped up and kicked it.

Crono backed off.

Robo got up and opened his hull,and fired laser beams in every direction.

The two Golems got black burn lines all over their bodies.

Both Golems raised their hands and two iron orbs fell down.

Crono and Ayla got one on their heads, completely knocking them down.

Robo tackled the left one and succeeded to make it fall.

Sasuke got up and slashed the right Golem with his sword and instantly dodged the iron orb the other one had dropped.

Robo opened his hull again, but this time he fired heal beams on Crono and Ayla.

A new orb knocked down Ayla. Crono leaped forward, and cut the right Golem.

Once the cut was complete, he turned his sword around and made a double cut.

The right Golem scattered.

The left one, who was knocked down, got up and looked around panicly.

The room turned black and small green objects flew around.

Crono felt an enormous pain, and he held his hands over his head to protect it. Once the spell was over, the last Golem scattered.

The Dalton came back. "They beat the Golem Twins!? All right, this calls for the Golem Boss."

Dalton was just going to raise his hand when the room turned red and a strange sound could be heard from the room behind him.

"W, what's this strange force? Could this be... Lavos's energy?! I've got a bad feeling about this... All my work will be in vain if I expire before I'm immortal!"

Dalton put his cape over his arms. "This is your lucky day! Bye-bye!" He teleported himself away.

Sasuke got up.

"Damn, he got away!" He cursed, sheathing his sword and joining Crono.

Crono was first going to enter the room Dalton protected, when he remembered Robo.

"You okay?"

Robo beeped. "I have been better. May I go to End of Time."

Crono nodded. "Sure. Trade with..."

"Frog?" Robo suggested. Crono nodded.

"Ayla tired after battle with evil man. Want to trade."

"Okay... Trade with..."

"Crono want Marle?" Ayla said.

"Say again?" Crono said.

"Ayla think Crono like Marle. But no worry. Ayla trade Marle."

Before Crono got time to answer, Ayla entered the gate, and Marle came out. After a second, Frog was with them.

Crono explained fast what had happened.

"Let's hurry!" Marle said.

Crono nodded and ran into the room.

They ran into the new room. Just behind the door was a catwalk way on which a Nu stood, blocking the way.

"This is the hall of the Mammon Machine... Now is the time to turn back, nu..."

Crono pushed it over the edge. "Sorry." he said and ran further into the room.

Truly, this was the hall of the Mammon Machine.

At the end of the room was the device standing.

In front of it stood the Queen, on the left side, Schala and on the right side the Prophet.

Six servants were also in the room,standing in a row, three on each side. They placed themselves between the rows.

"Schala!" Marle exclaimed. "We're here to save you! C'mon!"

Frog freed his hands from his cape.

"We shan't allow thee to meddle with Lavos, Queen!"

Sasuke looked at the Mammon Machine.

"Your time is up, Zeal!"

The servants backed off.

Schala turned around. "You're..!"

Then big flashes came out from the Mammon Machine.

"Help!" Schala shouted and fell down on her knees.

The Prophet hurried to her.

"Schala..!"

But the Queen came between.

"What are you doing, Schala? I need your help here!"

Even more flashes came up.

"Crono...!" Marle said. "The red knife!"

Frog pulled on his arm.

"Crono, use the old man's knife to stop the Machine!"

"There's no time to waste!" Sasuke said, looking at him.

Crono stepped forward, and threw the knife against the machine.

But the knife stopped in the middle of the air.

Crono felt how all hope drained. Then...

"Here we go, Mune!" Masa's voice said.

"Ready, big brother!" Mune's voice replied.

The sword flew with incredible speed against the machine and drilled deep into the device. They recognized the knife now.

"T, 'tis... ...the Masamune?!" Frog said.

Another card fell on place for Crono.

Of course it was! Melchior lived in this period... And it was made of dreamstone... the red rock!

The Queen turned to the machine.

"Th, the Mammon Machine!?" A red glow surrounded it.

"It's coming..!" the Prophet said.

"N, no stop!" Schala said. "That sword alone can't stop it!"

"Why do I have a feeling that this is going to be a bad idea…?" Sasuke asked himself, shielding his eyes and hearing an ear-splitting scream that clearly indicated that he, Frog, Crono and Marle just woke up Lavos.

**X~X~X**

Suddenly, with a white flash, Sasuke, Crono, Marle and Frog found themselves face to face with Lavos.

The environment had changed. From Ocean walls to some blue pulsing color.

They were standing on something invisible.

Then came destruction from heaven... Big brown-yellow things fell down and exploded as they hit Crono, Marle and Frog.

It all ended with a huge explosion.

Lavos' magic was horrible.

Crono, Marle and Frog all fell to the ground.

Crono couldn't move, but he saw what happened.

Sasuke sucked in air through his teeth and covered his ears, expecting the worst.

"Damn it!" Sasuke growled above Lavos's bloodcurdling scream as he also collapsed.

Lavos roared loudly.

But then, the Prophet came.

"I've waited for this..." he said.

With a fast handmove, he threw off his cape and showed his real identity.

Magus.

"I've been waiting for you, Lavos. I swore long time ago... That I'd destroy you! No matter what the price! It is time to fulfill that vow. Feel my wrath, Lavos!"

Then, Zeal and Schala came into the room.

Crono had seen all this. In his dream. He was waiting for everybody except Zeal to be knocked down.

"What do you think you can do?" Zeal said. "Hmph! A false Prophet... You'll be a snack for the great Lavos!"

Schala moved in her way.

"Mother, please stop! This power can only end in ruin!"

"Get away from here, Schala! The almighty life force of Lavos lives in all of us... You are a part of it! You cannot change fate now! Oppose me, and I will destroy you also!" She fired lightning on her daughter, forcing her to the ground.

"Heeelp..." Schala said with a weak voice.

"One more..." Crono thought.

"Damn… you…" Sasuke got out.

The Queen jumped up on Lavos and turned to Magus. "Come Prophet, feel the power of Lavos!"

Lavos opened his beak, and flashes surrounded Magus. They forced him down on his knees.

"That's it." Crono thought.

"But wha..." Magus tried to get up. "Ungh! Aaah! My powers are being drained! Unghh... I won't... be beaten! I survived the darkness to defeat you, Lavos!" Magus rose.

"Take this, Lavos!" Magus rushed forward and attacked the beak with a magic rod.

Lavos' shell turned blue for a little moment, but got back it's original color after just a second.

"Wh, what..? It doesn't work?! Aaughhh!" Magus was thrown backward and didn't move.

"Foolish one!" Zeal laughed. "Your measly power can't touch Lavos! This is from me to you!"

Lavos roared, and the roar made Crono roll over one side. The spell which held Crono still broke.

"You shall enjoy eternal life..." Zeal continued. "As a part of Lavos! Uwa, ha, ha, ha...!"

Marle looked up. "Can you move, Crono? Please help Schala!" her head fell down again.

"Magus! Thou art mine to defeat!" Frog said, but even he fell down again.

"S, Schala... Are you all right?" Magus whispered.

Schala looked up on Crono. "Please... Escape... Crono! Humans can't hope to defeat it."

"So..." The Queen said. "You are Crono? Why don't you do as Schala says, and run away, yelping in terror? Isn't your life precious to you? Uwa, ha, ha, ha!"

"Do something, you idiot!" Sasuke said urgently, lifting his head up only to have it thrown down again.

This was all so familiar to Crono. He knew what was going to happen. How could he stop it?

He looked on Marle. He could see her pretty, but bleak face.

Crono said something to her. He didn't really pick up the words.

Apparently, neither did Marle.

He wished he could say some last words, but he didn't know if she would hear them. He took a last look at her, and then faced Lavos' beak.

"Haven't given up yet? What do you hope to do?" Zeal said. "You challenge Lavos with that battered body of yours? Mwa, ha, ha... See the power of Lavos and feel his wrath!"

Crono made sure his body covered those behind him.

Lavos opened his beak and roared. Big flashes appeared around Crono.

"Crono!" he heard Marle scream.

Marle's pendant Crono carried started to glow and flew off, hovering in front of Crono.

"Take care of her." Crono said.

Sasuke nodded. "Okay, I will." He said, tears forming in his eyes as he quickly wiped them away.

"Sorry, Marle." Crono's last thoughts were.

His body scattered in thousand pieces.

"Crono?! Crono!"

Sasuke felt as if a paralysis jutsu had been cast upon him as he watched Crono disintegrate into nothing.

"Another close comrade goes up in flames…" he said, closing his eyes.

**X~X~X**

With a light flash, they disappeared from the area and came back to the hall of the Mammon Machine.

"I can't beat him. Lavos...!" Magus said, still sitting on his knees.

In fact, they were all doing the same thing.

"Crono!" Marle said. "Where's Crono?!" she looked around, but he wasn't there.

She put her head in her hands and cried.

"NOOO!"

Frog croaked.

"Argh! We must plan our escape! The Palace crumbles!"

"First my entire clan, then Itachi, now this…" Sasuke said, closing his eyes.

Schala rose up.

"The last of my pendant's power will send you to safety. I know you can't forgive her but... please don't hate mother, or our kingdom. I'm so sorry! Now, off you go!"

Magus thought for a second.

"...!"

Then they all were teleported away.

Schala fell down on her knees again. Alone.

"…Crono…"

**X~X~X**

In that moment, Lavos woke up.

The earth opened itself and Lavos came up. Huge fireballs erupted from his body and was fired in every direction. Wild energy flew straight up and drilled through the flying island. The islands scattered and slowly sank down, when Lavos wasn't giving it any energy.

Big cliffs fell off the main island, and the people inside the houses ran around, looking for some way to save themselves. The kingdom of Zeal fell into the dark and cold water.

In the earthbound village, people heard explosions, but didn't know what it was. Then, a man came running in.

"Zeal is falling!"

The ran up to the surface to see. And so it was. The islands sunk down. When the islands fell down in the water, it created a huge tidal wave. It was truly HUGE. Panicly, the earthbound people ran away from the hill. With a big crash, the wave struck the land.

On this day, the land changed forever...

**X~X~X**

From the cockpit of the flightless Epoch, Sasuke opened the glass dome and carried both Marle and Frog to one of the built huts, where he gently lied them down next to the fire. Utilizing his chakra to his hand and seeing how her throat was displayed so invitingly, Sasuke leaned forward and placed his fingers on Marle's neck, giving a relieved sigh when he felt her fluttering heartbeat. Though he wasn't a medical ninja like Sakura or Karin, his power was still an incredible sight to behold.

"Crono…" she moaned softly against Sasuke's incredible warm touch, forcing the young Uchiha to shake his head with a frown on his face.

_'The both of them must be delirious over what just happened back at the Ocean Palace.'_ Sasuke thought, looking at Marle's unconscious form. _'Still, I can't believe that Crono sacrificed himself to save us and Schala at the cost of his own life…'_

Sasuke thought that the outcome was something beautiful. Her long strawberry blonde hair was tussled amongst the floor, with her brilliant blue eyes staring at nothing filled with sadness and despair as Sasuke carefully wrapped his long sleeved white shirt that he used to wear during his time with Orochimaru and Kabuto around her small body and headed outside, where the young Uchiha found something glimmering in the snow and, upon realizing it was her pendant that Crono once had, Sasuke gave the piece of jewelry to the Earthbound elder in the commons until Marle woke up.


	3. Chapter 3: Time Egg

"Hmm..." Marle said. "Uh... Crono... Crono...!"

"N...noooooo!" Frog said. "Crono..., Crono...!"

Marle opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was that she was inside a hut of some sort.

She sat up. "Crono!"

"Um! You're awake!" someone said. "You were delirious."

The elder of the Earthbound village came in.

"Crono!" Marle said. "Where's Crono?"

The elder looked surprised.

"We found no one else..."

Marle's face became expressionless. She backed a step and fell down.

"So it wasn't a dream..."

Frog rose up.

"Be this the Earthbound village?"

The elder looked down.

"This island was the only refuge left, after the Ocean Palace disaster."

Frog croaked and looked down also.

"'Tis a pity. Whither hath old man Melchior gone?" The elder looked up.

"When the disaster struck, an eerie, black portal materialized. Melchior tried to save Janus, but he was also dragged in."

Frog thought.

"A "black portal"? A GATE!" Then he croaked joyfully.

But then, something came to his mind.

"That maiden, Schala... Whither hath she gone?"

"I don't know. No one has seen her since."

Then Frog remembered their time machine.

"Epoch! What fate has befallen it?"

"Your ship is quite sturdy and safe. It's almost as if it followed you here..."

Marle rose up again.

With sad eyes, she looked down on the floor. "Crono..."

Frog turned to her.

"Marle... Thou hast lost thy friend before thine eyes. No words can comfort thee..."

Marle didn't answer.

"..."

"Oh, this must be yours." the elder said and handed over a pendant.

"My... pendant." Marle said. "The one Crono held for me."

"Young lady..." the elder said. "I found it on your shoulder, almost as if it were guarding you."

Marle took the pendant, but didn't say a word.

"Take all the time you need to rest. I will be in the commons." the elder said and walked out.

Frog laid down and tried to sleep.

Then Marle felt how exhausted she was.

She sat down on a fur, close to the fire.

Frog was already sleeping.

Marle looked on her pendant.

"Crono... Is this... My last memory of you?" She cried, but tried to hide it.

Her tears made the fur wet, but Marle didn't care.

She fell asleep.

When she awoke, Marle lifted herself up and noticed that she had a long sleeved white shirt draped across her body like a blanket, accented with a small emblem of the Uchiha Clan on the collar. "I better give this back to Sasuke." She said, pulling her sandals on and wrapping Sasuke's garment around her body until she saw the young Uchiha.

When Frog woke up, Marle was gone. He check outside the hut, but she was nowhere to be seen. He was just going to pick up his sword, when he almost put his foot on something.

"What... The gate key? Marle had it?"

He picked it up. If he didn't find a gate,it would be useless. He placed it in his bag and walked out. There were many huts around his, and one bigger place. Probably the commons.

"Excuse me, but..." he said to one man who walked by. "Hath thou seen a young lady with a pony tail here?"

The man looked strange on him. Not everyday you see a talking frog.

"Yes. She walked to the north cape, just a few minutes ago."

"Where is the north cape?" Frog asked.

The man pointed on the most north position of the island. It was a cliff, which rose high up.

"Thank you." Frog said and walked towards it.

Sasuke made his way to the North Cape, where he stood at the cliff side and listened to the waves of the ocean crashing against the shoreline. He still can't believe that Crono and Itachi were both dead, and just thinking about his beloved older brother almost brought tears to his eyes before he heard a pair of sandals heading in his direction. Sasuke sighed as he vividly heard Marle approach him.

"What are you doing up?" Sasuke asked, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. Marle gasped and moved closer towards him until she sat down next to the raven haired ninja.

"I just came to give this back to you." Marle said, setting his shirt on the snow.

Sasuke shook his head. "Keep it." He said, knowing that he had a bunch more of them around.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, timidly. He heaved a deep sigh.

"I can't believe he's gone." Sasuke said, lowering his head.

Marle's head tilted to the side as she looked at him. "Who are you talking about, Sasuke?" She asked.

"My brother." Sasuke closed his eyes and turned away from the princess of Guardia so Marle didn't see the look of shame that was now written all over his face.

Marle blinked then took in what he was talking about. "Your... brother?" She slowly repeated, seeing him nod silently.

Sasuke swallowed hard as his gaze was instantly drawn to her crystal blue eyes. "Yes." He said, remembering all the good times he had with Itachi back when they were younger. She saw his reaction and turned back to the ocean.

It was then that Marle remembered Sasuke telling her that Itachi was the one that had massacred the entire Uchiha Clan, leaving only Sasuke alive. "Its okay. You did it, he's gone." She said.

Clasping a hand on his shoulder, Marle felt her inhibitions leave her and she saw the tears fall from his face as she looked at him, clearly indicating that Sasuke was crying. _'Probably mourning the loss of Itachi. Poor thing.'_ Marle thought. Tears streamed down her face as Marle heard steps and turned around.

"Frog..."

"I wath worried. Why are thou here?"

Marle turned back to the ocean and didn't answer.

"Aye, Sir Sasuke is mourning Sir Itachi's death, I take it?" Frog asked, looking at Sasuke's lowered head.

"Yes… he's had it rough." Marle said, nodding silently as she looked back at the crying young Uchiha.

"Poor lad..."

Marle didn't say a word.

"We must go on." Frog said. "Thath what Crono would want us to do."

Marle looked on him. "But... How can we go on without him? He was the one who started this. He always knew what to do. Without him it's so... empty."

Frog nodded. "I know... It takes time. I still think of Cyrus from time to time. And wish he was here."

Marle nodded. "Yeah... But is it the same thing?"

Frog shook his head. "No... Cyrus and me were friends in a different way then Crono and you were."

Marle nodded. "If I once had the chance to tell him..."

Frog grabbed her arm.

"Let's go to the Epoch and tell the others."

Marle nodded and then they walked down to the waiting Epoch.

**X~X~X**

"There you are!" Lucca exclaimed. "At last! Where's Crono?"

Marle didn't answer. She looked down on the floor. Frog was also quiet.

"What?" Lucca said. "Where is Crono? Is he still back there in the dark ages?"

Robo stepped forward. "I can see in miss Marle's eyes. Something terrible has happened."

"Hey, where's that healthy kid with the radical haircut?" the old man said.

Marle opened her mouth. "He... I... We... I mean... He didn't make it... He sacrificed himself to save us."

"This is terrible news... I have nothing to give you but this song. It's called... "Memories of Crono" I wish I could tend a hand..."

A quiet melody could be heard in End of Time. Marle looked away. She didn't want to look in Lucca's eyes.

"Let's go back." Frog said. "We must know what happened with Zeal."

Marle nodded. "Okay. I take the lead."

Lucca stepped forward. "No you don't!"

"Lucca! Get back." Marle said.

"Make me!"

"Stop it!" Frog said. "Both of you! You act like children. You both come with me."

They nodded and without looking at each other, they jumped into the Epoch. Marle placed herself in the front,and put the machine on 12000 BC.

"Here we go." she said. With a flash, Epoch traveled through time and came up in 12000 BC.

They jumped out, and with Marle in the lead, they walked to the commons. Many people were here. Even a few enlighten ones.

Marle, Lucca and Frog walked to the elder. "So... There are still some Enlighten Ones?"

The elder nodded. "That's right. But there are no more conflicts between us anymore. Besides, they can't use any magic."

Marle nodded. "I see. By the way... The blizzard has stopped. Looks like the climate is about to change."

"Let's hope so." the elder said. Then, Three soldiers came.

"Bow, and pay homeage to our new liege, King Dalton!" The soldiers chased away some people. One of them hit the elder with it's staff.

Dalton came up. He looked on everybody.

"What's wrong?! You're lucky to be alive! The old crone and the pesky Gurus are gone. I now rename Zeal, the Kingdom of Dalton!" He laughed.

Then he saw Marle, Frog and Lucca.

"YOU! You're alive? Ah! That vehicle outside must be yours! It's just like the one Belthasar was building... I've decided you don't deserve such a splendid toy! Henceforth it shall be my personal chariot!"

"You've got to be joking!" Lucca said.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Marle exclaimed.

"And... You'll have to come with me! You might start a rebellion or something! And now,as a token of my esteem for you..." he raised his hand. "...take this!"

A fireball shot out, but Marle smashed the fireball with her crossbow and made it change direction.

"What?" Dalton said. "Grrr... Ha! How's this?!"

Three new (and bigger) fireballs shoot out and hit Marle, Lucca and Frog. They were thrown far back, and everything went black.

"Mwa, ha, ha!" Dalton laughed. "Enjoy a little taste of my true power!"

Sasuke wiped the tears from his eyes as he soon heard the sound of engines roaring through the air. He looked up and saw the Blackbird flying overhead. He hoped that Marle and Frog were okay.

Just then, a soldier came up.

"You're coming with us!"

Sasuke threw a couple of smoke bombs into the air and taking advantage of the distraction, grabbed the handle of his sword and killed the soldier with a swift strike.

"I don't think so." Sasuke said, grasping his katana.

Onboard the Blackbird…

"Uhh..." Marle said. She opened her eyes and found out that they were in a very small, metallic room.

"Where are we?" Frog asked, not really thinking about getting a reliable answer.

Then Lucca jumped up. "! Everything I carried is gone. Weapon... Items... even my money."

Marle felt in her bag. It was empty. "They took even the gate key!"

Frog looked down. "Now what?"

"If only Crono was here..." Marle thought. "What would he do?" She looked around.

"He would probably look carefully around,trying to get a sight of the nearest area." Marle saw a ladder,leading up. "Check the door." Marle commanded.

Frog checked it. "Locked."

Marle nodded. "If they are keeping us as prisoners... Why do they have that ladder?"

Frog checked it. "It leads up... But I don't know where."

"Let's check it out." Marle said and climbed up. They came out on a platform, and found that they were far over the clouds.

"EEEiikkk!" Marle yelled.

They had just came out of something.

"The sky!" Frog said. "We're in the belly of...!"

"...The Blackbird?!" Marle suggested. They walked down.

"What?!" Frog exclaimed.

He pointed on the ceiling. "Help me up."

Marle lifted the frog up.

"Hey... you're quite heavy... For a frog, I mean..."

Frog croaked and then hit the ceiling. A metal plate fell down. Lucca caught it before it hit the ground. Frog climbed up. "It's a ventilation system." he said. "We can get everywhere from here."

"How do we get up?" Lucca asked.

Marle moved the ladder. "Like this." she said and climbed up.

They had to lean down when they walked inside this maze of ventilation system. The walked around without thinking of where they were heading. Then they heard Dalton's voice. They looked down through a ventilation hole. Then there was Dalton. And not just him. The Epoch was also onboard. Around it, at least ten soldiers were lined up.

"Me thinks he CAN'T just tinker without another's possession!" Frog said.

"Look!" Lucca said. "He's messing around with the Epoch!"

"Shh..." Marle said,trying to hear what Dalton said.

"Pay close attention to what you're doing! This will be my royal 'Airthrone'!" Dalton said. "The world now belongs to me!"

Then Marle saw that some workers was working on the Epoch.

Marle couldn't see what they were doing. "Let's hurry, get our stuff back, and stop him!"

"Good idea." Frog said. "Crono would be proud of you."

"Proud?" Lucca said. "Hruff... Let's go."

"Let's split up and find our stuff by looked through the ventiles."

Frog nodded. "Okay." And they separated and searched the ventilate system.

"I think I found something!" Lucca suddenly said.

She walked back to their rendezvous point and showed Marle and Frog the place. It was a big room with their stuff all over the place. Frog kicked out the ventile and jumped down, followed by Marle and Lucca.

Marle picked up her crossbow. "Thank god it's okay." Then she saw that some arrows were gone.

"Seems like they wanted to try it out." Lucca said.

"Yeah..." Marle said. Then three guards came in.

"Hey, you!"

Marle fired an arrow on the first one, and scored a kill. One guard jumped in and tried to hit Frog with his stick.

Frog parried the stick and made himself ready to counterattack. The guard put up his stick to parry to blow, but Frog's Masamune was too powerful. It cut the stick in two, and made a fatal blow on the guard. Lucca shot the last one.

"Looks like they don't have much experience." Marle said. "Do we have everything?"

Lucca nodded. "The money is gone,but we can make it without it."

Marle nodded and exited the room. After one second, she came back.

"The place is full of guards!" She exclaimed.

"What do we do?" Lucca asked.

"Crono! Where are you!" Marle thought. "Well... Looks like I have to solve the situation."

"We'll find one of the wings on this machine and get a better look of what this ship really is."

"I'm with you." Frog said.

"Me too." Lucca said. "But you go first." Marle nodded and walked out.

She snuck through many corridors, trying to get to the left wing. Finally, she reached it. The wind was hard out here, but not impossible.

They walked out. The Blackbird was quite spectacular. Crono would have loved it.

"Something cometh!" Frog suddenly exclaimed and pulled up his sword.

Marle looked around. "What do you mean..." The wind blew stronger.

"What's going on?" A black gate opened, and a golem came out. But this golem was different. He was more pink then brown.

"He's..." Lucca said. "Is this the 'boss' Dalton talked about?"

Marle didn't answer. In a matter of seconds, she was holding in her crossbow, loaded with an explosive arrow.

The Golem boss looked around panicly. "Um..." Marle fired her arrow, and forced the golem backwards. Frog cut it with his sword. Lucca made a fire explosion.

The Golem looked around. "Impossible! I'm...s...scared!"

Marle and Lucca fired an antipode on the Golem.

"I HATE hights!"

Frog made a final blow and slashed the Golem out from the wing.

"Phew..." Lucca said.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the ship...

"It's complete! I've done it!" Dalton said.

He was standing in what once was the Epoch, but had now been modified. Two new wings had been added.

"See these beautiful wings! Now THIS is a King's throne. I now name it... The Aero-Dalton imperial! And THEY're gonna be my first victims! Aero-Dalton imperial, engage!" He pressed a button.

"No, no, no. No...! Stop the music!" he yelled. He pressed another button.

"Ha! There we go! Ready for takeoff! The Aero-Dalton imperial! We have lift-off, Houston!" A door in the hull opened, and the Epoch flew out.

From the wing, Marle, Frog and Lucca could see something's flying by.

"What in the...!" Frog said. They ran to the other edge of the wing.

"Epoch..." Marle said. "It's flying?!"

"It's not Epoch! It's the Aero-Dalton Imperial!" Dalton corrected. "Mwa, ha, haha! You are excess baggage! Make like the wind and blow outta here...!" Dalton turned the Epoch around and fired laser-beams.

Marle jumped back, just to evade one. Frog and Lucca did the same.

"Mwa, ha, ha!" Dalton laughed. "You are like insects to me!"

"Filth! A lesson shall he learn this day!" Frog said.

Marle rose her hands. "It's all your fault...! Crono... Give back Crono!" Marle ran forward and jumped off the wing.

Dalton laughed,but stopped when he saw that a girl was standing on his Aero-Dalton Imperial. She was holding a crossbow. Frog and Lucca followed and landed on each wing.

"You,you...!" Dalton said. "Take this!" He fired some grey beam out from his cape. It locked Frog down.

Marle fired an arrow, but because of the wind, it missed.

"Take this!" Dalton said again, and fired a new beam, this time on Lucca. She was forced down.

"And especially you..." Dalton said. "Here. Take this." A gray beam kept Marle down. Marle used all her strength, but it kept her down.

Dalton laughed. "Mwa, ha, ha! Poor little girl! You must be lonely now that your boyfriend is gone."

"He's not her boyfriend." Lucca shouted, but it sounded too weak to be heard.

"And the weapon of yours..." Dalton continued. "Isn't it a little bit too heavy? Why don't you let a real man who knows what he's doing, handle it?"

In that moment, something in Marle's body went off. With all her might, Marle threw herself forward. The seal held her back while Dalton laughed. But then he stopped. Marle's will became stronger than Dalton's magic. She broke the grey seal and reached for her crossbow.

"That's the dangerous side of it." Dalton said as Marle picked up her crossbow.

"That's right." Marle replied and pulled the trigger. The arrow flew straight into Dalton's body.

"Aahhh..." Dalton yelled.

Marle smashed him with the crossbow.

Dalton looked up with a bloody face.

"That's it! Go GolemBoss!" He pointed on a place in front of him, and a black portal opened. But nothing came out.

"?...!"

Instead, Dalton was sucked in.

"Ahh..."

In the same moment, the grey seals broke over Frog and Lucca.

Marle fell down on her knees. "Pant...wheeze..."

"Is Epoch okay?" Lucca asked.

"That grounding thief!" Frog said.

Then Lucca thought of something. "More importantly, did he change the controls?"

Marle ran to the control seat and sat down. Lucca and Frog took one seat each in the back.

"Fast!" Frog said. "Do something! Or we'll crash into the blackbird!"

Marle pressed a lot of buttons, not sure of what they did.

Suddenly, laser beams came out of Epoch and hit the engine of the Blackbird. Explosions came up everywhere and the ship began to lose altitude.

On the ground, the people could see what happened.

"Yeah! Justice! Dalton got what he deserved!"

The elder looked up.

"Whoa! That ship can fly!"

Back on Epoch...

"Phew, now I get it!" Lucca said.

Frog croaked. "Fantastic! We are actually in his debt!"

Lucca put her glasses right. "It needed a remodel anyway!"

Marle looked down. "Crono..."

Lucca rose. "Marle..."

Frog stopped her. "That poor lad..."

Marle landed the Epoch.

"Crono's gotta be somewhere! I'll find him!" Marle jumped off the ship,and so did Frog and Lucca.

"You'll never find him here." A cold voice said from behind her. Marle suddenly froze and turned around to see Sasuke leaning his back against the Epoch, smirking at her.

"I know." Marle replied as she, Lucca, Frog, and Sasuke went to the North Cape.

"What exactly happened up there?" Sasuke asked as they made their way to the North Cape.

"You don't want to know." Lucca said, jamming her glasses up to her face.

The four soon saw a man with his back turned to them as they headed up the cliffside.

Magus turned around.

"So, it's you..."

Magus turned back to the ocean.

"Magus!" Frog said.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, glaring at Magus.

They all drew their weapons.

"Behold. Everything's at the bottom of the sea. Gone is the magical kingdom of Zeal, and all the dreams and ambitions of its people."

Magus turned to them.

"I once lived here... But I was another person then..."

"What?" Sasuke demanded.

**X~X~X**

It all happened in the Ocean Palace. Or was suppose to have happened.

The three Gurus were gathered in front of the Mammon Machine.

In there was also Zeal and Schala.

"Hmm..! A dimensional warp!" Gaspar, the Guru of Time, said.

"This power is beyond human control!" Belthasar protested.

"No...! We'll be dragged into the warp!" Melchior said.

The room started to shake.

"Schala!" a voice said.

Schala turned around. "No, Janus! Stay away!"

"B, but!?" Janus protested.

The room flashed red, and in the next moment, Lavos was there.

A black gate opened under Melchior. "It's a..!" he was drawn in.

A new one came up under Gaspar.

"A Timegate!?" And even he disappeared.

"No!" Belthasar said as even he was drawn in.

"S, Schalaaaa!" Janus yelled panicly as he disappeared in one.

Schala fell down on her knees. "Janus!"

Lavos roared joyfully.

In Medina village, 1000 AD, Melchior came out of a gate, right inside some imp's closet.

In the Bangor Dome, 2300 AD, Belthasar fell out.

When Gaspar came out, he could see nothing but a grey void.

"Th, this is... Hey. Nothing here. This must be... The End of Time..."

At truce canyon, 600 AD, Janus came out, just beside some fat mystic, called Ozzie...

**X~X~X**

There was a moment of a silence before Sasuke approached Magus.

"So, you're that young kid… aren't you…?"

"…"

Magus turned back to the ocean.

"Ever since Lavos's time portal stranded me in the Middle Ages... I have waited to even the score... You interrupted me just when I had summoned Lavos to my castle... How ironic that, having been drawn into yet another portal, I would end up in this age. Being from the future, my knowledge of the past enabled me to convince the Queen that I was a mighty oracle. But no history book could have ever prepared me for what happened here. Unimaginable is the power of Lavos. Anyone who dares to oppose it... meets certain doom. At this rate, you too, will meet a hideous fate. Just like that poor fool, Crono!"

Marle looked at him.

He turned around.

"How dare you! It's because of you that Crono's gone!"

"...!" Frog said. "You dare to insult him?"

"Are you asking for it?" Sasuke threatened, pointing his katana at Magus.

"He's history!" Magus said. "Play with fire and you get burned."

With one hand, Marle picked up her crossbow and aimed for Magus.

"What an arrogant... PIG!"

"I agree with you." Sasuke said, activating his Sharingan.

"You wish to fight me?" Magus said.

Lucca picked up her gun.

"YES!"

Frog drew his Masamune.

Marle held out her hand.

"... Even if we defeat you, it won't bring Crono back."

Frog holstered the Masamune.

"Nor Cyrus."

Sasuke resheathed his katana and deactivated his Sharingan.

"Neither Itachi or my clan."

"…" Magus turned around.

Marle walked a bit down the cliff.

"He's right, isn't he?" Marle said.

"What?" Lucca asked.

"With Crono. He is history."

Lucca nodded. "I'm afraid so... But I just can't believe it. That he's gone."

"Wait!" Magus said.

A small stream of hope filled Marle.

"I'll come with you." Magus said.

"Say what?!" Marle exclaimed.

"I don't think so." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"You know, there just might be a way to bring him back."

Marle would have jumped up to the ceiling if there were any.

"Y..you're joking?!"

Sasuke didn't even look satisfied. "I'm not going to take the chance."

"Gaspar, the Guru of Time knows how to restore lost or misplaced time streams..." Magus said.

"And you'll help us to fight Lavos?" Lucca asked.

Magus nodded.

"The will of Fire lives on." Sasuke said, smirking. He always thought that Magus was almost similar to himself for some reason.

Marle gave the gate key to Frog.

"Here. Find the gate and go to End of Time. Otherwise, it will be a little compact in Epoch."

Frog nodded and jumped away. Sasuke also headed back to the End of Time with Frog.

Marle, Magus and Lucca walked down and headed for Epoch.

Marle took up the Epoch and started to set the instrument on End of Time. Then...

"What's that?!" Marle said.

Lucca rose from her seat.

"We're getting some interference with an enormous gate! It can't be... Lavos?"

Magus saw what they meant. "That's..."

Something huge under the ocean was on it's way up. But it didn't fly up. It was teleported up. With a huge flash, a gigantic black construction, which was far over one kilometer long, appeared in the sky.

Marle watched it. "I think they're calling us..."

Lucca jumped up. "I feel like we're gonna get sucked in there."

"...The Undersea Palace?" Magus said. "This is impossible...!"

Marle sat down.

"Let's forget about it now. We must find Gaspar. Let's ask the old man at the End of Time."

Marle sat the instruments on "End of Time" and execute it.

Epoch throttled up, and with incredible speed flew all around the Earth and then switched time.

Epoch came just outside the main room.

Marle jumped out, followed by Magus and Lucca.

"So..." Magus said. "This is End of Time?"

The weak melody was still running.

The old man looked up.

He watched Magus but didn't say a word.

Marle walked forward to him.

"We're looking for the Guru of Time."

"The Guru of Time, eh...? Heard of him, of course, but what do you want with him?"

"He knows how to bring Crono back..." Marle said.

The old man nodded weakly. "To bring back the loved ones... It's what everyone wants... Crono must be proud... to have friends like you..."

Marle turned around.

She walked to fence and looked out. Looked out on the grey void. It was always the same.

On first sight, Marle had thought the grey void as... cold and... even evil. But now she knew it was friendly. Never complained. It never felt sad, or happy. The only thing it did was to be there. To be something to looked at.

"That fool..." Frog said. "No one that young is supposed to leave this mortal coil."

Robo beeped. "Without Crono, everybody is so depressed..."

Lucca shook her head.

"Poor Crono... He was like a brother to me..."

"I never wanted either Crono or Itachi to die like that…" Sasuke said, closing his eyes.

Magus looked out at the grey void.

"Doesn't matter if HE's here or not. My attention is focused elsewhere..."

Perhaps a tear fell from Marle's eye, she didn't notice. All she could think of now was how to go on. Go on and fight Lavos. So much had changed the last days. So much had been out of her reach. Was it wise to go on? Would Crono want her to? Yes, she thought so. He would.

Marle could imagine Crono standing in front of her and say:

"Marle! It's up to you now. You must continue where I failed."

That was it. She was going to continue. She turned away from the fence and walked to the Epoch. In the same way as Crono, she commanded.

"Magus! Robo! Come with me. We got work to do."

"Hey!" the old man said.

Again, Crono filled her heart. A small ray of light. A stream of hope.

"Take this with you." The old man said.

"An egg?" Marle exclaimed.

Sasuke glared at the old man.

"Is this some kind of joke that you're trying to pull on us or do you want me to put you out of your misery?" Sasuke asked, glaring at him.

Everybody walked closer. It was an egg the old man picked up.

The old man sighed. "Let us call that the Chrono Trigger. It is pure potential. By unleashing a specific course of event, it can have a powerful effect on time. Ask the one who made the Epoch, your Wings of Time, how to hatch it... Like any egg, it represents a possibility... It may or may not... hatch. But the Chrono Trigger may give you the potential to get your friend back... The egg will have an effect equal to the effort you put in your search. No more, and no less. Don't forget that. As long as you keep Crono in your heart, the day you are dreaming of shall arrive..."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the old man until the young Uchiha looked underneath his bowler hat.

"Wait a minute… are you really Gaspar, the Guru of Time?" Sasuke asked.

Gaspar scratched his hat. "Um... well... I believe that's what they used to call me... ...ages ago..."

"Let's go see Belthasar." Lucca said. "And ask about the Chrono Trigger."

"Hn. Fine by me." Sasuke said, nodding as he jumped into the Epoch and took the controls after taking the Chrono Trigger. He then set the time gauge to "2300 AD" and the Epoch entered warp speed.

"Thank god we don't have to go through 'sewer access' again." Marle said.

"Agreed." Lucca replied.

Sasuke landed the Epoch and headed inside the Keeper's Dome while Marle and Lucca followed close behind him.

Inside, Sasuke walked to the back where he found a Nu standing in front of the door that they found the Epoch. The creature opened its eyes as if it knew why the young Uchiha and his comrades were coming.

"On "Death's peak" you will find the power to restore life. But to activate this power, the deceased must be important to the space-time continuum. And you MUST have a clone identical to that person. Only then, can a Chrono Trigger work its magic... Need a clone? The magician, Nolstein Bekkler could whip one in the wink of an eye. Bekkler loves festivals. Find a festival, and there, too, you shall find Bekkler!"

Sasuke groaned as he shook his head.

"A festival? How can we find one if the entire world is destroyed?" Sasuke asked.

Marle looked up. "Perhaps not..."

Lucca smiled. "No, not at all."

They ran back to the Epoch. Marle took the front seat this time.

"Look!" she suddenly said. "That thing is still here!"

She pointed on the black thing.

"I wonder for how long. It doesn't exist in End of Time."

Lucca turned to her. "Tell me what does. Now, take the ship to 1000 AD."

Sasuke nodded and set the gauge to "1000 AD", landed the Epoch outside, and the trio went to Leene's Square and the Millennial Fair.

"I guess he's at the 'Tent of Horrors'." Marle said.

Lucca nodded. "Yeah. That's the only place I can think of."

"Hn. Let's just get this over with." Sasuke said, completely ignoring the stares that the people gave him.

They walked into the tent.

Inside, was a head and two hands flying.

"Welcome to Nolstein Bekkler's lab." the head said.

"I was right all along." Sasuke said, smirking. Lucca nodded.

"The spine tingling show is about to start!" the head continued.

"Hold it!" Marle said. "We... eh... I mean, you... eh..."

"What's she's trying to say..." Lucca interrupted "Is that we would like a clone of our friend Crono. Do you know him?"

The head nodded. "Of course I know him. I know everyone! But... Sorry. I can't make you a clone."

"Why?" Marle asked.

"It's... not the way things work here."

"Then what's the way?"

"Eh... you must win it."

"How can we win the clone?" Sasuke asked, leaning his back against the wall and not paying any attention.

"Pay 40 silver points and win the game." Nolstein said.

Marle felt in her pocket. She had two silver points Crono gave her.

"Will these do?" She asked and handed them over.

"Those?" Nolstein said. "Not a chance! I need 40, not 2."

Marle looked at him.

Sasuke's eyes widened at this.

"Damn, this… can't be good." Sasuke said.

"NOW YOU TAKE THIS AND GIVE US THE CLONE! I HAVEN'T TRAVELED MILLIONS OF YEARS, FOUGHT MAD WIZARDS, NEARLY GOT KILLED A HUNDRED OF TIMES JUST TO HEAR YOU ASK FOR 40 SILVER POINTS! NOW YOU TAKE THIS BEFORE I _REALLY_ GET MAD!" she shouted.

"And I thought Sakura and Naruto were loudmouths…" Sasuke said, crossing his arms and remembering his old comrades.

The head flew backward by the shock, and nearly flew into the wall.

"Okay..." he said a weak voice. "You win... I take two silver points and you get your stupid doll!"

"That's the sound." Marle said.

"The clone will be in Crono's house."

Marle nodded and they walked out.

Sasuke looked at Marle and sighed irritably. "Next time, let me do the screaming." He said, his obsidian black eyes glowing in the sunlight.

Marle giggled. "Scared ya, didn't I?"

The young Uchiha merely shook his head. _'She's more annoying than Sakura.'_ Sasuke thought bitterly.

They walked to Crono's house.

His mom was upstairs, and probably the clone also.

Marle told the others to wait, and then she walked up.

Lucca ignored her and followed.

While Marle and Lucca headed inside the house, Sasuke walked to the pier near the ticket booth, listening to the calm waves crashing against the sandy shores. This somehow reminded Sasuke of the time he used to go to a pier with his father back when he and his wife were alive and when Sasuke was a boy living a normal life until the massacre caused by his older brother.

Shaking the memory out of his head, Sasuke headed to the Epoch, jumping into the pilot seat after opening the glass dome of the time machine's cockpit.

Inside, Marle could see the clone next to Crono's desk.

Crono's mom turned to Marle when she came up. "Oh, hello! Is Crono okay?"

Marle stepped forward and looked down. Should she tell? She decided not to. "Uh, he's ok. Fine actually."

Crono's mom nodded. "I hope he's behaving. Tell him to be good, all right?"

"...Listen, um..." Marle said.

"Yes, dear?"

"Uh, we'll just borrow this doll, okay?"

"Go right ahead, dear." Marle took the doll. It was very big, but when took it, it shrunk to pocket size.

"Good." she thought. Marle and Lucca walked down the stairs.

"Stay out of trouble, now!" Crono's mom shouted after them.

"Don't worry!" Marle shouted back.

"Got it?" Sasuke asked as he saw the two leave the house. When Marle nodded and slowly climbed into the cockpit, he set the time gauge to "2300 AD" and landed the Epoch outside the Keeper's Dome.

"You got the clone? Good." the Belthasar-Nu said. "The time has come for you to attempt the Death Peak. It's the only chance you have of reviving your friend. This ends my message. Now I must ask you for a favor. This creature has executed its program. Please let him sleep. The switch is on his stomach."

"Okay." Sasuke said as he walked up to the creature, pressed the switch and the Nu stopped snoring. "The creature sleeps beyond the flow of time."

"What now?" Marle asked. "Death's peak or..."

"End of Time." Lucca said and they walked out of the building.

**X~X~X**

"You're back!" Robo said as they disembarked.

"Well, did you find him?"

Lucca nodded.

"Oh, yeah. We found him. All we need to do is climb to one of Death's Peaks tops. The problem is that it is from there Lavos rules the world."

Robo nodded. "I see. Will you not go?"

"I didn't say that!" Lucca said. "C'mon Frog! Let's go see Spekkio!"

Frog croaked and followed Lucca into Spekkio's room.

Marle placed herself in "Crono's corner" as she used to call it.

From Spekkio's room, she could hear Spekkio say:

"Hey! That punk rocker hasn't been coming around, lately."

'Crono.' Marle thought of him.

"Hold on!" She thought. "We're coming!"

A few minutes later, Lucca and Frog came out.

"Its about time." Sasuke said, jumping into the Epoch.

"Ayla!" Lucca shouted.

Ayla rose up and walked to the Epoch.

"No." she suddenly said. "Ayla not go."

Lucca looked surprised on her. "Okay... Frog!"

Ayla shook her head.

"No. Not Frog. Ayla like Crono. Ayla go. Marle like Crono BEST. Marle go more."

Lucca looked down. "I get your point. Marle!"

Marle nodded and got up.

"Thanks, Ayla." Marle said as she passed her. She jumped down in one of the back seats of the Epoch.

"Okay!" Lucca said. "Next stop, Death's peak!"

Sasuke pressed the time travel button and with a flash, Epoch went through time.

The trio then hiked up the snow covered mountain that Lavos had watched over the entire world, and along the way, they cleared a site for them to rest. Sasuke smirked in amusement and took the left peak into his view and set up a shelter for them as he unpacked a couple scrolls containing some fish, rice balls, and fresh fruit for himself, Marle and Lucca, who were in awe.

If there was one thing Sasuke Uchiha was good at, it was cooking.

"Help yourself." Sasuke said, taking one of the onigiri as the two girls sat down at the opposite sides of the table before he bit into it.

"Oh my Goddess," Lucca exclaimed, taking off her helmet and observing the succulent meal that sat in front of the two girls.

"How did you make this, Sauce?" Marle asked, also taking a tuna filled onigiri and biting into it. She saw him scowl even worse at the dreaded nickname.

"I took my time preparing myself back when I was with Orochimaru." Sasuke said, looking at the two.

"Yeah, right before you killed him." Lucca said, sipping her tea. Sasuke's lips were pulled into an amused smirk. The whole situation really was kind of funny.

"That's true." He said, drinking his tea.

Just as she was about to reach for a tomato from one of the bowls, Marle felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as she felt another hand also reaching for a red tomato just before that hand retreated.

Sasuke told himself that he hadn't purposely embarrassed her for the satisfaction of seeing her blush but the smirk that was threatening to make its way onto his lips said otherwise. He was mildly amused at the antics of the Princess of Guardia. Pushing the bowl towards her, Marle cautiously took the tomato and thanked him before biting into the plump fruit. He nodded.

"No problem." He said, pouring himself another cup of tea.

As she took another bite out of her onigiri, Marle felt her inhibitions leave her as she looked at Sasuke, who was drinking his tea in silence. His katana was lying beside him so he could attack at the right exact moment.

"Sasuke… can I ask you something?" Marle asked, breaking her chopsticks and putting some rice into her mouth.

He paused for a nanosecond before he returned to picking up his fried prawn. "I'm listening."

"Those red eyes of yours… do they have something more than just copy your opponent's every move and hypnotize them?" Marle asked.

Lucca moaned and shook her head. "Marle… Oh Gods, I think they're called the Sharingan, if I recall correctly."

Sasuke nodded as he set his chopsticks down. "That's right. My father told me that there's a second stage of these eyes before my brother killed him and our mother."

"Really?" Marle asked, swallowing a mouthful of salmon as she helped herself to some shredded chicken to soak in her bowl of wonton soup. "What is the second stage of the Sharingan?"

"The Mangekyō Sharingan." Sasuke said, picking up another piece of salmon with his chopsticks and biting it off.

"The… Mangekyō Sharingan?" Marle and Lucca repeated in unison.

He nodded. "Yes. It seems like I spoken far too much." Sasuke said upon seeing Marle yawn tiredly.

"Thanks for the meal." She said before retiring to her bed after finishing her soup.

"Goodnight, Sasuke. Don't brood out here too long, okay?" Lucca asked, removing her glasses and setting them on the table.

He remained outside the shelter for what seemed like a long time, filling the fact that they recently started hiking up the snow covered mountain that was Death Peak.

Sasuke didn't go to bed until well into the night. When he finally did, he feared that his nightmares of Itachi slaughtering their entire clan would return.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, they did return.

Sasuke found himself standing in front of the room where he saw the dead bodies of his parents, but then noticed that Itachi was holding Marle in a vice grip.

"You're still too weak." Itachi's haunting voice echoed in his head as he moved to grasp his sword.

"Shut up." Sasuke hissed, baring his teeth as his hand rested on his chōkuto.

Marle stared at him with an expression he'd never seen before. Impatiently, she reached for her pendant and threw it to him.

"Take it and get away from here!" She screamed.

"You don't have enough hate. And you know something? You never will." Itachi then stabbed his blade through Marle, blood staining her white top. The princess screamed as pain ripped through her body as her sight began to fade away, collapsing onto the bloodstained floor next to his parents.

Sasuke himself was on the edge of his patience, his body so hot he felt as if the bed were on fire. His eyes immediately snapped open as he grabbed his katana.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, ITACHI!" Sasuke roared to no one, pointing his blunt katana at nothing.

When he realized it was all a dream, he eased himself. Sasuke leaned back and lit a candle, sharpening his katana.

"Damn it, I have to stop having these nightmares." Sasuke cursed, lying back down after sheathing his sword but not before hearing a knock on his door.

"Sasuke? Are you up?" A soft, innocent feminine voice spoke on the other side of the door.

Sasuke lied his already sharpened katana on the wall next to the bed. "Come in." He said coldly as the door opened, revealing Marle on the other side. She was holding a tray with two glasses and a steaming tea kettle on top, setting it down on a small table that stood next to a chair beside the bed. The candle light danced over her milky skin, framing her slim figure in the shadows. Sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping into his black eyes as Marle lifted herself up and looked deep into his obsidian eyes.

"By the Gods, are you alright, Sasuke?" Marle asked, sitting down next to the bare chested Uchiha as her eyes traveled down his torso to his strong abs and over his broad shoulders. His body was so beautifully sculpted, it almost hurt to look at him.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" He asked, looking into her eyes. She was wearing a light blue satin nightgown over a dark blue robe that had the insignia of his clan on it.

"Well… I overheard you screaming Itachi's name and I thought-" Marle stated before Sasuke glared at her.

"_Don't_ say my brother's name. It's none of your business whatsoever." Sasuke said, turning away from Marle and taking the first empty glass so that she was greeted with his bare back. Sapphire orbs traced the long, jagged-looking scar that ran down his back to the front of his rib. Though she didn't know its origin, she was positive that he was in some sort of battle that he had before facing his brother.

Letting herself be taken by the waves of sensations she was feeling, Marle scooted until she was almost on Sasuke's lap and poured the glass with hot Jasmine tea alongside hers, clasping a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. Sasuke stiffened as she did this. Thankfully, he didn't push her away.

Growing up, she had always been compared to the other faire women of her line, though she failed to see how her beauty could match her mother's, Queen Aliza. Aliza was fair skinned, with honey-brown hair and Marle had her crystal blue eyes; but there was something more to the late queen that Marle strived to have. There was something in the air around her mother that she had not yet achieved but she couldn't figure out what it was.

Aliza had this way of making everyone around her calm and relaxed; she was loved and adored by everyone and anyone who met her. She could sing, dance, paint, and spoke with a tone that seemed like the voice of an angel. It was all Marle could to hope to be like her someday. However, she saw little of her mother in herself. Aliza was a lady and Marle only played one when necessary. It had taken her awhile to adjust back to people calling her "Princess Nadia" more then "Marle" again.

Tilting her head to the side and pulling her hair back before releasing it, Marle sighed heavily.

"I know how it feels to lose someone that you love the most. I understand that pain when my mother died." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks, but Sasuke wiped them away as he drank his tea.

"Stop." Sasuke clenched his teeth, unable to push aside the heaviness in his chest.

"What is it?" Marle asked, looking at him and feeling her blood freeze upon looking into his eyes. She wanted to drown into the hooded midnight pools staring back at her.

"Marle… how young were you when your mother died?" Sasuke asked, taking a sip of his tea as his eyes cast a faraway look at nothing. His body was so close to hers, she could feel the rise and fall of each breath, hear the pounding of his heart and knew that he could also feel hers.

"Seven. Why?" Marle asked, looking into his onyx eyes.

"Let me show you my past." Sasuke said, weaving a few hand signs before casting a genjutsu on Marle.

Before she could say anything, Marle felt her inhibitions leave her and she soon found herself in a village opposite of Truce and Medina.

"Where am I?" Marle asked herself.

"You're inside my Genjutsu." Sasuke said, appearing behind her. "I'm showing you the events that occured on that night."

Marle gasped and she saw an eight year old boy wearing a long sleeved black shirt with an Uchiha insignia on the back. A bag was draped across his shoulder as he hurried home.

"I'm so late!" He said as Marle instantly recognized the boy as the younger version of Sasuke.

"Was that… you?" Marle asked as the 15 year old Sasuke appeared beside her, nodding.

"Yes, and there's more." Sasuke said as they turned a corner after following his younger self. "Follow me."

In the relative darkness and quietness of his former village, Marle gasped and moved her hand over her mouth as she saw paper lanterns were sliced open, multiple shuriken and kunai were stuck in numerous bodies that had black hair and midnight eyes, and blood was splattered on the walls.

"Not even Ozzie can do this much damage when he was still alive." Marle said, recalling the siege at Zenan Bridge back in the Middle Ages when she, Crono and Lucca were looking for the broken blade and the hilt of the Masamune.

"I know. There was another person who also did this behind my back who helped my brother slaughter our entire clan." Sasuke said, lowering his head.

Marle looked at him. "Another person? Who?" She asked, seeing Sasuke's knuckles turn completely white through the bandages that he wore.

"Madara Uchiha…" Sasuke said as the two were taken into a room with his eight year old self sprawled on the floor and an image of a man standing over the lifeless bodies of his parents, who were lying in a pool of blood, dressed in a light purple bodysuit with his katana perfectly sheathed in the scabbard on his back. Deep lines accented his face.

"Why did you do this? Itachi… why?" The eight year old Sasuke asked, completely shaking in fear.

_'So that must be Itachi.'_ Marle thought, watching the man standing over the lifeless bodies of his parents.

"To test the limits… of my ability." Itachi said coldly, looking at his younger brother.

"To test your… ability? Was that the reason that you butchered every single member of our clan?" Sasuke asked, getting up and racing towards his brother in sheer rage.

"YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" He screamed as Itachi delivered a devastating punch in the stomach, shocking Marle as he collapsed onto the floor beside his father's dead body.

Marle reached up and grabbed her crossbow but before she was about to fire an arrow in Itachi, they were taken outside.

"If you wish to kill me one day, in hate and revenge; foster your hatred and despise me. Surviving in an unsightly manner as this; by all means flee. Cling to your wretched life." Itachi said, opening his eyes to show his Mangekyō Sharingan. "And one day, when you possess the same eyes, come and face me."

Marle felt her breath become heavy and her heart begin to pound as she found herself sitting in the exact same room, holding her steaming cup of tea as if nothing had happened.

"That was just awful of your brother to do such a horrible thing." Marle said.

"I know. That was the living hell that I was put through for all my life until I killed that cold hearted bastard." Sasuke said, closing his eyes as he felt his chest throb. His eyes returned to their normal state and the hand he hadn't realized he'd clenched slackened.

_'I think he's exhausted after defeating his older brother. He's probably overused his Sharingan.'_ Marle thought to herself as Sasuke set his now-empty cup on the tray she brought in. A moment of silence passed and she spoke again.

"And yet, you still sought out revenge for what Itachi did to your parents and your entire clan." Marle said quietly, a warm tone in her voice as she pieced everything in place.

Sasuke swallowed hard as he continued. "After he abandoned me, he joined an organization known as the Akatsuki. So far, I have managed to kill two members of the organization as well as Orochimaru, who was a former member."

"The Akatsuki?" Marle repeated before examining the snake sword lying on the wall, literally surprised that Sasuke didn't immediately take it out of her grasp or electrocute her with his Chidori. Her fingertips were lightly tracing over the smooth handle of the katana as she grasped it, wondering how he achieved the incredible and magnificent art of swordsmanship.

"What kind of steel is this sword made out of?" She asked, pulling the sword out halfway and seeing her reflection in the metal. _'I don't think that Melchior would make this kind of sword for Crono.'_ Marle thought, taking a few swings of his sword. She ran her finger along the sharp blade and was surprised to see that it now bled. Blood dripped onto the floor as Marle continued to look at the young ninja.

"Sound." Sasuke replied, propping his legs on his bed and closing his eyes as he heard Marle sheath his sword. "Get some sleep. We have a long way to go before we get to the top of this mountain."

"Okay, I will." Marle said as she nodded, a bright smile on her lovely face before lying Sasuke's sword back on the wall next to the sleeping young Uchiha as she left him to sleep peacefully in his room but not before giving Sasuke one last longing look before she left him. She was about to tell him about the restoration of his clan, but thought better of it. _'He's so sweet of letting me have his shirt.'_ She thought, closing the door behind her.

"Perhaps I'm becoming too soft on her." Sasuke said to himself, falling into a deep sleep after tapping his own forehead with his fingers, his broad shoulders taking more than half the bed. He didn't tell Marle about how he slaughtered a thousand samurai warriors without getting himself hurt. _'She would've been scared like hell.'_ He thought, laughing slightly.

Letting herself be taken by the waves of sensations she was feeling, Marle double checked to make sure everything was in order and was satisfied to see that it was. Her eyes itching with tiredness, Marle let her head gently fall back on the pillow, taking in deep breaths as she closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.

**X~X~X**

The next morning, Sasuke was up and already making eggs that Itachi had made him in his weird and absurd dream that he had last night. As he put a teaspoon of oil in the pan, he made sure that no egg shells were left in the yolks as he wiped the dew of sweat off his dampened forehead. When he fried the eggs, he immediately washed the pan before setting it on the burner again. After he was done, he ate quickly then grabbed his katana and headed outside to train; he knew that the smell alone would be enough to wake Marle up.

It did. Marle felt her body begin to respond to the aroma wafting through her door. Marle shifted accordingly until she sat up for a moment to smell breakfast being cooked, got her clothes back on and headed out to find a plate of eggs waiting for her.

"Who made this… for me?" Marle asked herself, sitting down at the table and observing the sunny side eggs. She then heard the door open and a pair of shoes being taken off, indicating that someone entered the shelter.

"Morning, Sauce." Marle greeted upon seeing Sasuke enter the kitchen. He had his sword hooked on his back and she could tell he was training due to the sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Morning." Sasuke demanded smugly, sitting down across from her after removing his blade. Looking at the plate of eggs that sat in front of her, he added. "Eat up, you'll need your strength so that we can get to the top of this mountain."

Marle stared at him with an expression he'd never seen before. Impatiently, she reached for a fork and a knife, slicing the eggs in the center. Taking a bite out of the egg that had the insignia of the Konoha leaf on the yolk, Marle chewed the egg before swallowing. A moan escaped her lips and this time, Sasuke snorted.

"What's so funny, Sauce?" Marle asked, looking into his obsidian eyes and blushing madly.

"Nothing." Sasuke let the corner of his lips pull up, he found that he enjoyed making her nervous and he especially liked the blush heating her cheeks.

Marle smiled and sat back, crossing her legs and swaying gently. Sasuke stopped when he saw the way she was smiling.

"That was good. Thank you." Marle said.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at her reaction. "Your welcome. I just had a dream that my brother made me an egg."

Marle blinked then laughed, moving and hugging him.

Sasuke heard her laughing as if from miles away. To his consternation, he could barely manage to find the strength to turn his head. "What is it?" he grumbled, wondering if he should feel insulted by her amusement.

"Nothing." She said, quickly releasing him.

When she finished the other egg, Marle felt her breath become heavy and her heart begin to pound as she got up and kissed him on the cheek in thanks for the meal. Sasuke stared at her blankly, not noticing that Lucca came into the kitchen with her violet hair tangled in knots.

"Morning, guys." She said, pushing her glasses up to her face after she had to reach for her spectacles and put them on.

Lucca rubbed her eyes for a moment as Sasuke, who had been standing for a period of time, finally gave in to his exhaustion and began to walk down the steps into the rooms. Two sets of blue eyes snapped to his movements coming closer to his room. Seconds later, he came out, wearing a dark blue robe and was heading towards the shower.

He turned the showerhead on before he removed the robe from his body. Allowing the water to heat up, Sasuke stepped into the shower, the hot water flattening his raven hair against his head as a sigh similar to Marle's escaped his lips.

After stepping out of the shower, Sasuke led Marle and Lucca to an empty area, where the princess saw targets on the snow covered trees and three on the ground.

"Get back, you two." Sasuke ordered, seeing the two girls hide behind the trees.

Despite his calming efforts, Marle felt a wave of panic come over her as Sasuke disappeared. Before she knew it, he was in midair with four kunai in each hand as he threw the weapons at random places rapidly. The princess screamed as a kunai whizzed past her, embedding itself in the target on the tree in front of her as Sasuke landed.

"Chidori Stream!" Sasuke roared as lightning came out of his body and incinerated the targets on the ground until they were burnt. Grasping his sword and seeing a wooden rendition of Lavos, Sasuke leapt up and severed the head of the wooden creature before sheathing his sword.

"Let's go." Sasuke said as the three went inside a cave, where they saw a man with his silver hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing a headband with a sound emblem on it.

Sasuke instantly recognized the man as Kabuto Yakushi as he then ordered Marle and Lucca to get out of the cave that they were in.

_'First Dalton, and now Kabuto? I wonder what's next.'_ Sasuke thought, approaching the man as he turned around.

"It really has been a long time… Sasuke Uchiha." Kabuto said, pushing his glasses up to his face as he smirked. "I should have known that you were the one who absorbed Lord Orochimaru right under my nose with that repugnant Sharingan of yours."

"I see that you haven't changed at all… Kabuto Yakushi." Sasuke said coldly. Closing his eyes, he added. "You knew this was going to happen when you challenged me."

There was a tense silence before Kabuto started laughing. Sasuke heard him laughing as if from miles away. To his consternation, he inhaled deeply. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"I think Itachi would love to see his beloved little brother fall before me." Kabuto sneered.

After he said that word, Marle felt a wave of panic come over her. _'By the Gods, he didn't just say that dreaded word.'_ She thought. Sasuke clenched his teeth and threw back his head, the veins in his neck standing out. His hand moved to grasp his sword, his eyes ablaze.

"Don't you speak about my brother's name or about the Uchiha, you bastard!" Sasuke roared, activating his Sharingan and began to grasp his sword as he did a series of hand seals. He then took a deep breath. _'Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!'_

A dozen flames shaped like dragons erupted through the ceiling of the cave, moistening the snow as it turned into rain. Lightning struck throughout the area as Marle and Lucca looked up to the highest cliff to see Sasuke raise his hand skyward as he called upon a dragon made out of lightning, possibly a result in his training with Orochimaru.

"I won't go easy. I can't." He said thickly, his fingers tingling with electricity. "You're gonna get killed."

Kabuto smirked. "We'll see about that, Sasuke."

"The name of this Jutsu is Kirin." Sasuke said, still holding his hand upward.

"What do you think he's doing?" Marle asked.

Lucca shook her head. "I don't know, but he's almost exactly like Crono."

"Now begone with the thunderclap!" Sasuke roared as he hurled his creation down towards Kabuto, instantly injuring the man and obliterating the cave.

Sasuke broke the electrical current, his black eyes ablaze as he lifted his head and stared down at the man, panting as Kabuto looked at him with a bloody face.

_'That Kirin takes a lot out of me. If I go on much longer…'_ Sasuke thought, collapsing on one of his knees.

"Impressive, but how would YOU survive against this?!" Kabuto asked in sheer rage, raising his hand as a gate appeared out of nowhere.

Sasuke's eyes widened a tad when he came face to face with a Lavos Spawn, thus forcing Marle and Lucca to arrive at his aid.

As he pulled out his sword, Sasuke could instantly hear Kabuto say "You may have gotten lucky this time, but next time won't be so easy!"

"Attack the head only!" Sasuke said as he ran up to the spawn and slashed the head with his sword while Marle coated his blade with ice.

Sasuke kept thrusting, but eventually found his release and gave in one more thrust, which was rewarded when the spawn instantly melting into a pool of slime as Marle and Lucca lowered their weapons.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked as the two girls nodded.

Sasuke panted harshly as he pressed his palm to the side of his upper body, wondering if one of his ribs was broken. He sheathed his sword, his gaze never leaving theirs. Breathing as hard as he was, Marle wiped the sweat from her sweat-glazed forehead as she approached the raven haired ninja, casting a Cure spell on Sasuke.

"I'm a little sore… but Sasuke, who was that man you fought?" Marle asked, looking at the raven haired man. Sasuke smirked and looked at her. She was shocked to see that his eyes were completely red, those dangerous tomoes swirling about.

"That was Kabuto Yakushi. He's an associate of Orochimaru." Sasuke said, looking at the exit.

"But how does he know where you're at?" Lucca asked, blinking her aqua blue eyes.

Sasuke thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm not sure, but right now, let's keep going." He said, darting towards the exit.

Marle nodded and slowly obeyed. "Right!"

As they hiked, Lucca couldn't help but think of why would Sasuke have both Fire and Lightning powers at his disposal that made him similar to Magus. One would have thought that he would be as cold as the mage. She kept her mouth closed as they came across yet another Lavos Spawn.

"I've simply had it with you!" Marle screamed in rage as she summoned two icebergs out of nowhere, crushing the spawn's head in a fluid motion. Sasuke was slightly taken aback by her power that he found himself unable to speak.

"Here, drink this." Marle said, handing Sasuke an ether from her bag.

Sasuke took the ether from Marle, eyeing it suspiciously. "What is it?" He asked.

Marle giggled a little and then settled again. "Its an Ether. Drink it and it'll restore your magic, or chakra as you call it, to full."

Sasuke gave her an incredulous look, pulled the cork out, sniffed the liquid and drank the contents until it was empty. He could feel all of his suspended chakra returning to him as he threw the empty vial away, coughing violently as the liquid on his tongue made its way down his throat.

"It getting slippery here. Be careful!" Lucca warned the others.

They where walking on a small layer of snow, and beneath it, ice.

"No kidding!" Marle said.

They pushed themselves as far to the mountainwall as possible.

They were lucky, because the wind had changed direction.

Slowly, they were climbing up Death Peak.

"Are you sure this is the right cliff?" Marle asked.

None answered.

"I'm asking you, Sasuke!"

"Yes, I believe this is the highest one." Sasuke said.

Marle frowned.

"You sure? I think that one's higher."

Sasuke looked around. "Which?"

Marle pointed at a cliff, on the other side of Death's peak.

"That noeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Marle fell.

She slid down the cliff, and tried to grab something.

She finally grabbed a dead tree, but then she was hundreds of meters away from Sasuke and Lucca.

"Great..." Lucca said. "I'm glad she didn't have the Chrono Trigger."

Sasuke looked at Marle. Then Lucca.

"Marle! You OK?" Lucca screamed.

But Marle couldn't hear very much down there.

"What?" she screamed back.

"We..." Lucca started, but Sasuke stopped her. "Pointless. She can't hear us." he said.

"Marle!" Lucca screamed, ignoring Sasuke. "We go and save Crono! We pick you up once it's done!"

Marle could hear that sentence.

"Hell you are!" she screamed back.

Lucca shook her head. "Nothing we can do, right?" she said to Sasuke.

"In your dreams." he said and picked up a rope from... wherever he got it from.

"Probably." Lucca said and watched as Sasuke tied the rope around a rock.

"Pick her up!" he said.

"No way!" Lucca said. "This is your idea!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on her.

"Why do you hate her?" he said.

Lucca looked at him, surprised.

"I don't hate her." she said.

Sasuke backed off.

"Good." he said. "Then go down, and pick her up."

Lucca finally agreed, and used the rope to get down. She got down to Marle and together, they climbed up.

On their way up, Lucca said: "Isn't it ridiculous to fight over a guy?"

Marle nodded. "Sure it is."

"Right!" Lucca said. "Believe me, I've known him for almost all my life. You're not his type. Besides, I got the Chrono Trigger."

Marle looked down at the ice, and slowly nodded. "Yeah." she said.

"It's right here... What the...?! SASUKE!"

Lucca screamed when she found out that the Chrono Trigger was gone.

She looked at Sasuke. He was just 50 meter away. And he was smiling.

The first time Lucca ever saw him smile.

"I'm gonna kill you!" she said when she got up.

**X~X~X**

"This must be the summit of Death Peak." Sasuke said as he pointed at the top of their cliff.

"There seems to be one problem... There's no way up."  
Lucca and Marle looked around. It was true. There was now way up.  
"Look over there!" Lucca said and pointed at a mountain wall.

"We can climb up, if we just get a few meter higher up!"

Sasuke looked around.

"Good idea! How do we get up?"

Marle answered fast.

"I think there's an old friend, who wants to join our discussion"

She pointed at a Lavos spawn, who was coming their way.

"We are getting used to fight these guys!" Lucca said, and aimed with her gun.

Marle prepared some magic, and so did Sasuke with his sword.

The spawn came closer. Lucca fired her gun, but missed.

The spawn counterattacked with some fire spell, like the one Lucca used on last one.

It hit Sasuke, who instantly dodged the attack.

Sasuke damaged the upper part of the beak with his Chidori charged sword.

It opened and gave out a sound which was extremely painful for the young Uchiha's ears.

Sasuke then picked up the two elixirs he had in his pouch, and used it on Marle and Lucca.

Their deep wounds healed, and they got up.

"Looks bad, huh?" Marle said.

Lucca nodded. "Yeah... Let's give him something extra!"

"ANTIPODE!" they screamed at the same time.

First, Marle summoned all magic particles. They formed ice crystals, and all crystals gathered in front of her. She pushed it forward and exactly when it hit the spawn, Lucca fired her fire bomb spell. The combination of those to spell, became a more powerful antipode then the last one.

It wasn't very much left of she spawn. Just the shell.

"What now?" Lucca asked.

Marle looked up.

"I know! We push the shell a bit to the right, so we can climb on those big needles."

"Fine by me. Marle, you help me push it. Lucca, you tell us when it is in position." Sasuke said.

And so they did. With some cooperation, they succeeded.

"Finally!" Marle said, when they reached the top.

It reminded them of the north cape, 15000 years ago.

From there, they could see all over the land. The darkness was still laying over the dark future.

Marle could see Proto dome from here. When they looked up in the sky, they could see that dark clouds were hiding the sun. They couldn't see much of it.

They could see the highest point. it was just a few meters forward.

There was a tree right of it.

Sasuke reached for the scroll that contained the Chrono Trigger, but he suddenly stopped.

"Watch out!" he said, but it was too late.

One egg-looking creature appeared.

It opened its mouth and a red tongue flew out and caught Lucca's arm.

"Aaaaiiee!" she screamed.

Marle shot an arrow at it, but missed.

"Do something!" Lucca yelled.

Sasuke drew out his sword and stabbed the egg with one quick thrust all the way to the hilt.

Once it was dead, Sasuke opened the scroll, unsealed it, and handed the Chrono Trigger over to Marle.

She walked up to the highest position.

"So, this is the summit of Death Peak!" she said.

She picked up the time egg and held it tight.

"All who fear the night and stand against the darkness... Please give us strength!"

The Chrono Trigger hovered up, and Marle's pendant began to glow.

"The pendant's reacting!" Marle exclaimed.

Lucca held up the pendant and small particles flew from it to the Chrono Trigger.

Marle, Lucca and Sasuke watched as the egg flew high up.

Marle held her thumbs.

Then the egg scattered.

Marle looked shocked.

"It, it shattered!" Marle said. "But... We've come so far!"

Marle fell down on her knees.

"No..."

Lucca stepped forward. "Don't be sad. It was silly to think we could get him back..."

Marle put her head in her hands and cried.

"Please answer me!" she screamed. "Don't leave me!"

She rose up.

"CRONO!"

Then, something strange happened.

The moon started to move faster and stopped when it covered the sun.

Everything went black and when Marle opened her eyes again, she could see herself.

And Frog.

And Lavos.

AND CRONO!

Marle looked around.

She recognized this scene.

It was in the Ocean Palace, just before Crono died. Sasuke and Lucca were here as well.

Sasuke looked at his surroundings.

"Interesting. So this is the egg's power."

Lucca looked around.

"The Chrono Trigger... The guru's Time Egg...!"

She pointed on each of them.

"Was this the situation?"

Marle nodded.

She walked to Crono.

"We'll just exchange the clone for Crono."

Marle removed Crono from Lavos' grasp and put the clone there instead.

She put Crono down on the ground.

She leaned over his head.

"Crono? It's Crono...! Crono?! You're alive!"

Crono's chest slowly moved up and down.

"Let's hurry!" Lucca said.

Sasuke nodded.

"We can talk later. Let's get out of here."

**X~X~X**

Crono came up, leaning on the tree.

"Crono! Welcome back, Crono!" Marle said, not sure if she was going to cry or laugh.

"I'm so glad your back, Crono!" Lucca said.

Crono opened his eyes. He looked on Marle. She rose up.

"We..." she said.

Never had she thought about what she would say if Crono came back. It was all so distant. But now, here he was.

"We knew this day would come."

Marle stood paralyzed. What should she do? And before Lucca did anything? She smiled at him.

She walked forward, leaned down, and put her arms around him.

She gave him a kiss.

And then hugged him tight.

Crono was about to say something, but Marle stopped him.

"You mustn't..."

"Just a sec..." Lucca said, but Sasuke grabbed her shoulder.

"Let them be."

Against her will, Sasuke pulled Lucca back.

Marle and Crono didn't even notice what Lucca said.

They were both in another world.

"You can't do that ever again! While you were away... A lot of things happened." Marle said.

"There's so much you have to know."

Sasuke then had a flashback of when Sakura used to hug him in the same way that Marle hugged Crono back when he was still trapped in Itachi's Tsukuyomi before he was healed by Tsunade right before he went to Orochimaru. He felt a tear rolling down his face as he wiped it away.

**X~X~X**

Everybody cheered as Crono came in halting to the End of Time.

"Crono!" Ayla shouted gleefully.

"Crono!" Frog and Robo said almost at the same time.

Even Spekkio looked out from his room.

"Hey! Punk head! Where ya been?"

Sasuke put Crono in his corner.

"So!" Gaspar said. "Looks like you were successful!"

"Well with your..." Marle said, but Gaspar interrupted her.

"No, don't thank me. I didn't do a thing. I just gave you a place to begin. If you really want to thank me, make me a member of your team! You wish to fight Lavos, correct? Many paths lay open to you. You may use that bucket." He pointed on a bucket in the back.

"It'll take you to 1999 AD. Or fly the Wings of Time to the day of Lavos. Or there's Black Omen, which floats in the sky above your world. Lavos is somehow connected with it. It's up to you to decide when and where to fight Lavos. By now you must realize you are the only ones who stand a chance against him... However, you will not be alone. I have had vague glimpses of events that will empower you... A fugitive in the middle ages, Ozzie, maintains an evil hideout... And there's a very special stone that can shine its light on each generation, from the distant past to the far future. There's a ghost of a lofty knight, slain by Magus in the Middle Ages, who haunts the present... There's an object in the Middle Ages that sparkles like a rainbow... One of you is close to someone who needs help... Find this person...fast. Just as you touch the lives of every life form you meet, so, too, will their energy strengthen you. Fail to live up your potential, and you will never win... I am sorry that I must simply witness the coming spectacle from my vantage point here..."

Marle sat down. "Where do we start?"

"Good point." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

Lucca thought.

"Cyrus. I bet he's the one who haunts the present. Frog? You come with me. Robo? It's your turn also. Until Crono gets better, I take the command."

They all nodded.

"Ayla?" Lucca asked.

Ayla looked up.

Lucca cleared her throat.

"Please... Don't let a lecherous young princess, who shall remain nameless, near him!"

Ayla nodded.

"Ayla understand. Lucca not worry."

Lucca turned around.

"I hope so."

Frog and Robo followed Lucca into the Epoch.

With a flash, they traveled in time to 1000 AD.

"So it finally begins..." Gaspar said.

"What?" Magus asked.

Gaspar turned to him.

"The fated hours."

Magus nodded.

"At last."


	4. Chapter 4: Promises to Keep

Marle saw how Lucca, Robo and Frog disappeared to another time.

Then she looked on the others.

Crono... There he was. It looked like he was trying to sleep.

Marle really wanted to talk to him, but it looked like Lucca and Ayla had allied.

Ayla...

She was sleeping!

And Magus looked out on the gray void.

Sasuke was tending to his sword.

Gaspar was looking around, like he was in another world.

This was her chance!

Marle snuck carefully to Crono and was just going to say something, when she forgot what. She looked at him, but didn't know what to say.

It all ended with that she touched his face.

Crono opened his eye.

"How do you feel?" Marle whispered.

Crono smiled.

"Much better."

He was smiling to her... Marle's heart started to pound louder.

"Say..." she said. "You wanna go someplace else... And talk?"

Marle could see how Crono nodded.

She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone were watching them.

No one was.

She turned back to Crono.

"To our presence?"

Crono nodded.

"Sure. How?"

Marle put her hand in her bag and pulled up the gatekey.

"You stole it from Lucca?" Crono asked.

"Oops..." Marle thought.

"No... Just borrowed." Marle said, hoping Crono wouldn't be angry.

He just smiled.

Marle couldn't resist to smile back.

Finally, she leaned down and grabbed him.

"I'll help you up. Try to be quiet."

Crono nodded and tried to rose.

With Marle's help, they did it.

But the sound...

Marle was just waiting for Magus to turn around, or Ayla to wake up, or even Sasuke to raise his head with his clan's kekkei genkai ablaze.

Marle helped Crono up to the gate room, and she chose "Leene Square 1000 AD".

They flew up and were transferring through time.

It late afternoon when they came there.

The sun was about to sink under the horizon.

Marle helped Crono to walk.

The scene of Marle carrying Crono like he had broken something drew a lot attention, but only a few curious kids asked what had happened.

Marle thought of something to answer.

Then she saw that Crono was also searching for an answer.

"Nothing." She said and continued to walk.

Mostly all salesmen were gone now, but there were still many days left of the fair.

"I think I can walk." Crono said as they walked out of the area.

Marle nodded and let Crono try.

Crono took a few clumsy steps, but got it right after a while.

"Nice." Marle said, and took his hand.

Walking hand-in-hand, they walked down to Truce village.

"Where are we going?" Crono said when they reached the center fountain.

"Don't know." Marle said and thought.

She would really like a place were they could be alone.

She thought of all possible places and finally, one came to mind.

"But I can think of one place where we can sit and talk."

Crono nodded.

"Fine."

They walked west of the town and through Guardia forest.

They snuck around the castle and into the forest.

After many kilometers, they reached the ocean.

It was almost sunset, and the view was wonderful.

They sat down and looked out.

Marle tried to start a conversation. Nothing really came to mind, so she found herself ask:

"How was it?"

"What?"

"To... die? Was it like I described?"

Crono nodded.

"First black. Then white light and coldness. It thought I was going to freeze to death. Then I realized that I was already dead. Suddenly, something pulled me back, and I awoke on Death's Peak."

They became quiet for a while.

Marle thought of something else to talk about.

"Why did you do it? You... saved us. How did you know?"

Crono looked down.

Marle could see he was trying to formulate himself.

"I... Just knew it."

"And you sacrificed yourself to save us..."

Crono nodded.

"Was it wrong?"

Marle shook her head.

"No. No... Not at all... Just..."

"What?"

"Just promise me that you won't do it again."

Crono nodded.

"Sure..."

"Promise!"

"Promise."

"Forever? Promise me that forever?"

"Forever promise." Crono confirmed.

Marle looked away and smiled. Not that she had any reason, but anyway... Crono's presence made her so glad.

They sat in silence and watched the water.

Suddenly, Crono broke the silence.

"How did Magus get into our team?"

Marle laughed and leaned back.

"Well... It's a long story."

"Let's take it later." Crono said.

Marle nodded.

The evening turned into night, and to a starry one.

The looked up.

"Have you ever tried to count the stars?" Marle asked.

Crono nodded.

"Yeah. When I was younger."

Marle smiled.

"When I was 7, I tried. But I could only count to 100, so I didn't get very far."

Crono laughed.

"I can understand that!"

They both laughed for a while.

Marle put her arm around Crono's shoulder.

"You feel better?" Marle whispered.

Crono nodded.

"Much better."

Marle could see how Crono tried to hide his smile, but it was too hard.

He loved her.

She knew it. But somehow, she had known it all the time.

"It's cold." she said. "Hold me."

Crono put his arm around Marle and hugged her.

"Thanks." she said.

With Marle's head resting on Crono's shoulder, they sat there and moved slowly to a rhythm.

The night crept around them.

They ended their moment with a kiss.

"It's late." Crono said. "Shall I go for the sleeping bags?"

Marle shook her head.

"No. Just... Let me have this moment. Just a little bit longer."

Crono nodded and carefully touched Marle's hair, to put it right.

**X~X~X**

The sun was shining the next day.

It was because of the sunlight Marle woke up.

"Crono..."

She pulled out her hand from her sleeping bag and felt on Crono's.

He was still there.

Sleeping.

Marle sat up.

Crono was sleeping like he hadn't slept for a year.

Marle got up and took her towel.

She didn't know the water temperature, but this far in the summer, it should be quite warm.

Even on the mornings.

Marle walked down to the beach and felt on the water.

It was cold, BUT not too cold.

Marle looked back, to check if Crono was up, but there were no sign of him.

So, she undressed and jumped into the water.

It took a while to adjust the body temperature, but once it was done, it was quite enjoyable. After many minutes, she swam back to the shore, and took her clothes out. After washing them, she placed them to dry on a rock.

Even though it was cold, she preferred to stay in the water while she had no clothes.

But in this sunlight, it didn't take long for her thin outfit to dry.

Once she was dressed and dried, she checked the clock.

She had been here for 30 minutes.

She walked up to the place were they had slept.

Crono was still sleeping.

Marle placed her towel on the sleeping bag and grabbed her bag.

She took something to eat, and thought about something that worried her.

She thought a lot about it.

From time to time, she decided to wake up Crono, but everytime decided not too, when she thought of what he had been through.

After half an hour, she resonated different:

"What about me? I've been through a lot too..."

With a so sweet voice as possible, she called for him.

"Crono..."

He didn't react.

"Crono!"

Crono eyes started to move.

"Wake up, Crono! It's a beautiful day!"

Crono closed his eyes again.

Marle smiled.

"C'mon sleepy head, let's get moving! I've been up for an hour already!"

"I'm not very much for mornings." Crono said and sat up in his sleeping bag.

Marle giggled.

"I've noticed that."

Crono looked around.

Marle thought of something to say.

"You should take a swim. The water is really refreshing."

Crono looked on her sleeping bag and probably noticed that her towel was wet.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

Crono took his towel and walked down to the ocean.

Marle sat down.

Alone.

She waited a long time, until she heard the splashing sound of water.

Then she walked down.

Crono was swimming around in the water.

"Isn't it great?" Marle said.

With a rush, Crono stood up in the water and looked after her.

"Yeah, it is." Crono replied.

Marle sat down on the sand.

"How long have you been watching?" Crono asked.

"Oh..." Marle answered. "Not long. I just came down. It was so lonely up there."

"Care to join me?" Crono asked.

Marle smiled and shook her.

"Nah... I've already been in. You should have go up earlier if you wanna bath with me."

Crono smiled.

"Well... I'm finished for now."

He walked up a bit, but stopped.

"Now, if you excuse me..."

"Oh!" Marle said and giggled. "Sorry."

She walked back to the camping place.

When up, she began to pack down everything.

When he came up, Marle was finished.

Marle decided that she would ask him about the matter.

"You... eh..." she said. "Are you not worried?"

"For what?" Crono asked, seemed like he didn't get her point.

"About when we... eh... Ah, forget it."

"You mean when we..." Crono said.

Marle nodded.

"Right."

"...Get back to End of Time?" Crono continued.

Marle nodded.

"I mean... By this stadium, Lucca have probably killed Magus, Ayla, Sasuke and Gaspar. And she's now scouting the hunting ranch in 65000000 BC after you."

Marle didn't really want to make fun of Lucca, but it just went that way...

Crono laughed, seemed like he didn't took it very hard.

"I guess that she's... upset."

Lucca...

She had to ask about Lucca...

"I guess I have to ask you... Lucca. What's wrong with her? She said you were like a brother to her before we knew that it was possible to bring you back. But now she's acting so odd. She truly tries to keep us apart."

Crono smiled.

"She's afraid of loosing me. I'm her only friend."

"That's it?" Marle said relieved.

Crono nodded.

"I see..."

Crono suddenly put his arm around Marle's shoulder.

"Come. Let's go."

They walked of the open field, and headed out from the forest.

"You..." Crono said. "Are not thinking about meeting you father? Don't you think it's a little bit silly to avoid him because of that... misunderstanding."

Marle didn't really want to bring up this discussion, but she didn't want to say that she didn't want to talk about it. So, she nodded.

"Well, I guess so. Let's think about it later." Hoping he would accept it.

Crono nodded.

"Sure."

When they got back to Leene Square, it was already midday.

Crono opened the gate and holding Marle's hand, they entered.

**X~X~X**

With a smooth move, Crono and Marle landed in the gate room, back at End of Time.

They walked down and carefully opened the door.

Only Magus, Ayla and Gaspar were in there.

Good.

Magus didn't react when they entered the room.

Ayla was still laying on the floor, but now awake.

"Crono out with Marle?" she said. "Alone in the dark?"

"Nothing happened." Crono said and sat down.

"Crono be glad." Ayla continued. "Marle like Crono. Same Ayla like Kino."

Marle giggled.

"Right."

"Hey." Crono said, looking at Sasuke's sword scabbard, which was lying on the ground with the sword blended perfectly in. "Where's Sasuke?"

"Take a good guess." Magus said, pointing to Spekkio's room.

Upon looking into the room, Marle gasped and moved her hand over her mouth at what she saw.


	5. Chapter 5: Truth about Itachi

"I see. So, you're still planning on going after Sasuke?" Tsunade asked, looking at Sakura from her paperwork after telling Naruto the sad news that Jiraiya had died.

"Yes, milady." Sakura said, nodding.

Tsunade instinctively let out a sigh of relief at her student's actions before she nodded.

"Very well. You're dismissed." The blonde haired Hokage said, returning to her paperwork.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Sakura said, bowing as she left the tower.

Once she was outside, Sakura looked up at the night sky as tears ran down her face from her emerald eyes.

_'Where are you, Sasuke? Even though you don't love me, I still love you.'_ Sakura thought, sitting on the bench that Sasuke first left her.

She was right. Where _was_ Sasuke at now?

**X~X~X**

Sasuke panted harshly as he pressed his palm to the side of his bare upper body, wondering if one of his ribs was broken. He dodged another lightning bolt from Spekkio and fired another Chidori at him, but the Master of War dodged it and sent a barrage of lightning bolts at him. Finally, his hold on his sword slackened and his whole body trembling, Sasuke fell sideways as Spekkio laughed at him shortly before Sasuke blew him up with another fireball.

"That was a good spar, Sasuke." He said, helping the young Uchiha up and handing him an Elixir.

"Thanks. You're a formidable opponent yourself." Sasuke said, opening the door after taking the Elixir and putting it inside his pouch.

"By the way, I saw Crono and Marle head back from their time period. Why don't you go and greet them?" Spekkio asked as Sasuke looked at him.

"Hn. Okay, I will." Sasuke said as he reached for the doorknob and turned it.

"So... is Spekkio getting harder for you now, Sasuke?" Crono asked, crossing his arms as soon as Sasuke immediately opened the door.

Sasuke looked at him after shutting the door. "He wasn't expecting the... true power of an Uchiha." He said as he hooked his sword on his purple rope-like belt that he still had during his time with Orochimaru.

"What did he give you?" Marle asked.

"An Eli-" but Sasuke paused in mid-sentence when he saw another pillar of light appear next to Ayla. Crono saw this, and looked at Sasuke with a look of curiosity in his eyes.

"What is it?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke as he walked towards him.

Sasuke ignored Crono and instead turned to look at Marle, instantly knowing that she was the one who took the Gate Key from Lucca when she, Frog, and Robo headed to 1000 AD.

"Marle… can I see the Gate Key?" Sasuke asked, looking at the blonde haired Guardian princess as he activated his Sharingan.

Marle nodded and slowly obeyed as she started digging in her bag for the Gate Key.

"Sure, Sasuke. But why?" Marle asked, handing the Gate Key over to Sasuke.

"I just need to check something out." Sasuke said, taking the Gate Key from her hand.

Ayla chose that moment to wake up, stretching like a lazy feline with a delicate yawn. She rolled onto her side and lifted her head, a contented smile on her face as she got up and walked to him.

"Where Sasuke go?" Ayla asked, running her fingers through her wild blond hair as she looked at the young Uchiha.

"I'm just going to my time period to tell Sakura that I… love her." Sasuke explained, with a small, unoticeable smile. Ayla nodded as she hit Sasuke in the back and Sasuke groaned as her fist made contact with his back.

"Ayla understand. Sakura like Sasuke BEST! Same Ayla like Kino and Marle like Crono!" Ayla exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air.

"Sakura? As in cherry blossom?" Marle repeated as Sasuke nodded.

"Who is she, Sasuke?" Crono asked, crossing his arms and looking at Sasuke.

"Probably his former girlfriend." Magus said as Sasuke's face turned red from embarrassment.

"It's better if I just show you." Sasuke said, performing a series of hand signs before casting a genjutsu on them.

Crono and Marle soon found themselves in a completely dark hallway, except for a few lit candles igniting the area bit by bit.

"Marle… Oh Gods, where are we?" Crono asked as he looked at Marle. The candle light danced over her milky skin before Sasuke answered his question.

"You're inside my Genjutsu, Crono…" Sasuke said, deftly answering his question.

"Your what?" Crono asked, confused.

"We're inside his spell." Marle said, looking around the area that the trio were in. "Sasuke used it on me to show the slaughter of his entire clan."

"Yeah, but that was only on Death Peak." Sasuke said, knitting his eyebrows in concentration.

Crono looked at Sasuke. "What are we viewing now?" He asked.

"The three year reunion between Sakura, me, and another one of my former comrades that had been chasing after me." Sasuke said, looking at the scene before him.

As he turned back to the scene, Crono soon found a black haired young man open the door to Sasuke's former room, open a scroll and drew some ink snakes before saying.

"Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll."

It took ever ounce of will-power for Crono to keep himself in check as the ink snakes slowly started to lift themselves off the scroll and started slithering towards Sasuke, who was still asleep on his bed.

"Sasuke… Oh Gods, look out!" Crono shouted, but Sasuke didn't move from his spot.

"It's no use. I can't hear you." Sasuke said coldly.

"By the Gods, I can't watch." Marle said, covering her eyes until…

"Who's there?" Sasuke asked, clearly annoyed that the young man woke him up.

"So, you do know I'm here. Well, regardless. I still have the advantage." The young man said, still standing outside the door.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, still not getting up from where he was.

"I would be pretty ticked off too if someone besides my father woke me up." Marle whispered, watching the scene.

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding as the young man opened the door a bit further. "Well, if you meet Lord Danzō, his objective is to bury you. But me, I have come here to take you back to the Leaf."

Sasuke didn't say anything as the young man continued speaking to him. "When I first started out, I did it with the sole intention of ending your life. You share something with him; a bond of friendship that Naruto is desperately holding on to. And I'm here to protect it!"

Crono felt his heart accelerate as Sasuke still didn't move.

"A bond?" Sasuke repeated, his voice rising as the black ink snakes got closer to him.

"Oh Gods, this isn't good." Crono said to himself.

"Yeah." Marle said, nodding.

"Is that really your excuse for waking me up?" Sasuke asked shortly before the snakes coiled around his body, forcing the young Uchiha to blow his room into smithereens and creating a huge crater much larger compared to the one Lavos made in the year 1999. Crono, Marle, and Sasuke were on the opposite side of the massive crater as Marle looked at Sasuke.

"What's with you?!" Marle exclaimed.

Crono stood still for a moment as the image of Sasuke was wearing a long sleeved white shirt that was open at the torso and was exposing half of his chest. He had his left hand on his side, as if waiting for someone while his cold onyx eyes locked themselves on the young man, who was on his hands and knees.

"Is this back when you were still with Orochimaru?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

"Yeah." Sasuke said, nodding.

Upon hearing a pair of sandals heading in their direction, Marle gasped and seconds later, a pink haired young woman ran out to meet the young man, who still kept his eyes locked on Sasuke.

"Are you alright, Sai?" She asked.

The young man, Sai, didn't answer her as she heard Sasuke's cold voice that identified her to be Sakura. Minutes later, Crono saw a spiky blond haired young man wearing an orange and black shirt with orange pants, wearing a headband similar to his, but black.

"Is that…?" Crono started before Sasuke clearly answered.

"Naruto." He said coldly, looking at his former comrades. "I'm guessing Kakashi must be here too."

After looking at his former companions and almost trying to kill off Naruto until Sai intervened, Sasuke looked at him.

"That block you selected," Sasuke said, smirking. "Was the correct one."

Crono felt his heart accelerate as Naruto wrapped his body around Sasuke's left arm before…

"Chidori Stream!" Sasuke roared as lightning came out of his body and formed a barrier of lightning around his body.

_'He's emitting Chidori throughout his entire body.'_ Sakura said to herself.

"And here I thought you were using magic to use that Chidori Stream, Sasuke and yet, you're still a show off." Crono said, crossing his arms.

After learning that Sasuke was a rogue ninja and after he threw them out of his genjutsu, both Crono and Marle looked at the young Uchiha teenager.

"Sasuke… Oh Gods, I never knew that you were a rogue ninja." Crono said, looking at Sasuke.

"Until now." Sasuke said as he slipped into the pillar of light.

"But why are you going back to the Leaf Village, Sasuke?" Marle asked, looking into his obsidian eyes. "They'll kill you on sight."

"That's a risk he'll have to take, Marle." Crono said, nodding at Sasuke.

Magus, realizing he wasn't leaving in a hurry, let out a heavy sigh and Sasuke couldn't help but smile at her reaction and continued. "Promise me you won't tell anyone about this Gate or about my time period."

Ayla nodded. "Okay, but Sasuke hurry."

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding as he clasped a hand on Sasuke's left forearm. "Hurry back, Sasuke." He said.

"Thanks a lot… Ayla, Marle, and Crono." Sasuke said as he closed his eyes and felt his body being surged through time.

**X~X~X**

**March 1010 A.D.**

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest next to Konoha. Leaping into a tree in front of him, he found Sakura heading to the village, bearing scratches and wounds from a mission.

Heaving a deep sigh as she ran her fingers through her pink hair, Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha at night, simply exhausted from the A rank mission that she was given today by Tsunade. She just couldn't wait until she could get home and take a long nap after such a mission.

As she entered her house, Sakura soon sensed a powerful chakra presence as someone closed the door behind her. She gulped as she felt a cold blade of a katana being pointed to her neck along with a warm body being pressed against hers.

"I see you haven't changed a bit… Sakura." A deep familiar voice said behind her.

She felt her body stiffen as she saw a pair of emotionless onyx black eyes for the first time in ages since he left. He still had that infamous smirk on his lips though.

Sakura was shocked. Was Sasuke Uchiha really standing inside her house ever since he left the village three years ago? She felt a blush coming to her face as the young man sheathed his sword and walked up to her, clasping both hands on her shoulders.

"Why didn't you come back, Sasuke? Why?" Sakura asked, tears forming in her emerald eyes.

"The real reason why I didn't want you to go with me was because I don't want you to get hurt by my brother." Sasuke said in his usual cold tone, looking at the deserted house before fixing his gaze on her. "However, there's yet one more thing I need to do."

Sakura gasped as he hesitantly got himself down on one knee in front of her. He was holding a small box with an Uchiha emblem on it. "I want to restore my clan to its former glory… and I need you to be by my side." Sasuke confessed, looking at the pink haired woman in front of him.

Sakura felt her heart accelerate as she embraced the man in front of her; It was all clear to her. She smiled at him before she crushed her lips against his in a kiss, snaking her arms around his neck as he deepened it and snaked his arms around her waist before he broke the kiss and looked deep into her eyes.

"Sasuke, can you stay here with me?" Sakura asked, looking into Sasuke's obsidian eyes.

"Hn." Sasuke said before he and Sakura fell asleep on her bed in her bedroom.

**X~X~X**

When Sasuke awoke the next morning, he hooked his sword back on his belt and made Sakura something to eat when she came down in her long pink nightgown.

"Morning, Sasuke!" Sakura said cheerfully, sitting down at the table after Sasuke handed the plate to her before she dug into her breakfast.

"Morning." Sasuke said, snagging a tomato from her kitchen as he took a bite out of it. He looked at Sakura as he wiped the juice from his chin, then eyed the remains of the Ocean Palace, which was now called the Black Omen by Gaspar.

_'That's not a good sign. If Zeal is still alive...' _Sasuke thought right before Sakura cleared her throat.

"Naruto and I have been worried about you ever since you left." Sakura said, pausing to look at Sasuke. "Where have you been?"

"Believe it or not, Sakura. I'm a time traveler now." Sasuke said, looking at Sakura's emerald eyes. He didn't want to tell Sakura about Lavos destroying the entire world in the year 1999, even after he, Marle, Frog, Magus, and Schala witnessed the alien parasite annihilate Crono in front of their eyes back in 12,000 B.C. before their time machine got modified by Dalton.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke. "You're a time traveler? That's why there was a portal at the ruins of the Uchiha Hideout." She said.

"Can you take me there?" Sasuke asked.

"Of course." Sakura said, smiling at Sasuke as she went to her room to get dressed.

After he and Sakura headed towards the ruins of the Uchiha Hideout, Sasuke clutched the Gate Key as he opened the Gate, stepped in along with Sakura, and headed back to the End of Time, not knowing that Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo were watching him.

**X~X~X**

When Sasuke eventually came back to the End of Time with Sakura, he found Ayla sitting in the same position just before Crono and Marle noticed noticed the two.

"What took you so long, Sasuke?" Crono asked, shaking Gaspar awake.

"I spent the night at Sakura's." Sasuke said, watching Gaspar rub his eyes.

"Were you successful in confessing your love to Sakura Haruno?" Gaspar asked, looking at Sasuke as Sakura gasped.

Sasuke nodded either way. He wasn't going to deny it.

"Yes, I did." Sasuke said, nodding as he reached into his pouch.

"I see that." Marle said, smiling as Sasuke grabbed a tomato from his pouch and took a bite out of it to satisfy his hunger.

"Sasuke, where am I?" Sakura asked, looking at Sasuke.

"The End of Time." Crono said, walking up to Sasuke and Sakura.

"The End of Time?" Sakura repeated.

"We might as well wait for Lucca to come back…" Sasuke said, leaning near the door to Spekkio's room as Marle lead Sakura inside.

"Yes." Gaspar said, nodding. "But, I would like to share something with you, and I think that Sasuke might want to listen as well, since it revolves around the massacre and eradication of the entire Uchiha Clan."

"I already know who did it." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"What is it, Gaspar?" Crono asked.

"The truth... about Itachi Uchiha." Gaspar added.

At the mention of his "beloved" older brother, Sasuke looked at him. "How do you know about my brother?"

"A man named Tobi came to me and took his mask off to reveal his Sharingan, which could have activated the Amaterasu that Itachi had implanted in your left eye to ensue that you and him shouldn't meet each other." Gaspar explained, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke thought back to their battle where Itachi tapped his forehead with his bloodstained fingers before he died to the illness he had beforehand.

"Amaterasu?" Marle repeated, confused by the name.

"Yes, Marle... The Amaterasu is a fury of black flames that is said to incinerate everything until its turned into ash." Gaspar said.

"Why did Duck Hair's older brother slaughter their entire clan?" Magus asked, earning a glare from Sasuke as he crossed his arms.

"It was... to protect him, Janus."

Crono, Marle, Ayla, Sasuke, Sakura, and Magus all looked at him with shock.

Sasuke stiffened as he said this and Magus narrowed his eyes at Gaspar, "What are you getting at, old man?"

"How is that possible?" Sasuke asked, looking at his hands with a horrid expression planted on his handsome face. "Protect me? He tried to kill me! Itachi tried to take my eyes!"

"From what Tobi, or as he calls himself, Madara Uchiha, told me, Itachi did it because it was his mission in order to prevent a civil war with the Leaf." Gaspar explained, putting his hands on his cane.

"How awful." Marle said.

"The Uchiha planned a coup de'tat and your brother was a spy to do so. However, with the Third Hokage dead, Danzō Shimura of the Foundation was assigned to be the next Hokage." Gaspar said as Sasuke's fists clenched.

Crono felt his heart accelerate as he looked at Sasuke and saw that he had tears in his eyes.

"Sasuke..." He said before the young Uchiha clenched his eyes shut.

"Shut up!" Sasuke demanded, collapsing on his hands and knees. "None of that matters anymore. Just get out of my sight, you hear me?!"

"He's not going to listen to us." Magus said.

"Ayla have rope!" Ayla said.

"Good. Bind his arms to his chest and hopefully, Sasuke will stay put." Marle said, nodding.

Ayla nodded as she tied the rope around Sasuke's arms and chest after Crono knocked him out.

After Sasuke regained consciousness and after learning the truth about Itachi, Crono used his sword to cut the rope binding his arms and chest together.

"Crono…"

Crono turned to Sasuke. "What is it, Sasuke?"

"Can you take Danzō out for me?"

Crono nodded as Sasuke gave a relieved sigh.

"Thank you."

"Although Itachi had made you the hero of your village, he wanted to keep you safe. Yet he still died with a smile on his face." Gaspar said, looking at Sasuke as the young Uchiha looked at him.

Sasuke nodded. "I understand, Gaspar." He said, watching Crono, Marle and Magus enter the time Gate to his time period as Sakura walked up to him.

"I'm just so glad that you're alright, Sasuke." Sakura said as she quickly kissed Sasuke on the cheek.

**X~X~X**

"Well?" Sasuke asked as he saw Crono, Marle, and Magus head back from his time period.

"He's dead, but we had an encounter with Fox Boy." Magus said, dematerializing his scythe as he went back to his spot.

"Fox Boy?" Sasuke repeated, realizing that Magus was talking about Naruto. "What does Naruto want from me?" He asked in an annoyed tone.

"He says that he'll always be your friend, no matter what." Crono said, clasping a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Naruto might've been worried sick about me." Sakura said, looking down at the ground.

"Hn." Sasuke said as he unsheathed his sword and started sharpening its edge before he gave the stone to Crono so that he could sharpen his sword.


	6. Chapter 6: Departure

"Choras, right?" Lucca asked.

Frog nodded.

"What is Choras?" Robo asked.

"Cyrus home town." Lucca explained. "If he's haunting somewhere, and it's not Donadero, then it got to be here."

The Choras continent was south-east of Medina, but still, they hadn't got much problems with the mystics. Lucca landed the epoch in a forest.

"Okay... You stay here. People would go crazy if they saw a living robot or a talking frog."

Frog and Robo agreed.

"I'll try to find out more about the ruins we saw. It could be there."

"Cyrus never told me anything about his hometown." Frog said.

Lucca nodded and climbed out.

She ran down the town and walked to the inn.

She took a seat by the desk and looked for someone to talk to.

She choose the one beside her.

"Excuse me..."

"Yes?"

"I'm kind of, new here. Is there anything you would recommend me to see?"

The twenty year old girl thought for a second.

"Yeah... Have you heard about the ghost?"

"Bingo!" Lucca thought. "No... I haven't"

"A Ghost Knight roams the Northern Ruins! Isn't that a trip!"

Lucca nodded.

"Yeah... Gotta check it out!"

She ran out and to the Epoch.

"He's there!" she exclaimed.

"Cyrus?" Frog asked.

Lucca nodded.

"C'mon! Let's have a look."

They walked towards the Northern Ruins.

**X~X~X**

The Northern Ruins was quite scary. If this was the middle of the night, Lucca wouldn't dare to walk in. With her gun up, she did. Frog followed closely.

"Cyrus!" Frog said.

No response.

"Watch out!" Robo said and moved out of the way.

Through a wall, a knight came out.

"Grrrrrr..."

It raised it's sword.

Lucca jumped away, a second before the sword hit the stone wall.

Frog leaped forward and cut the ghost with the Masamune.

It was a perfect slash.

But the ghost didn't die. It was like it didn't take any damage.

Lucca fired a fire beam, but it didn't harm the ghost.

Finally, Robo tackled it.

"He is resisting my attacks!" Robo said.

"And you can't blame it on hard skin." Lucca added.

"...len..." the ghost said.

Frog jumped up.

"Cyrus?! 'Tis me, Glenn!"

"...Wh...what?" the ghost said. "G...l...e...n...n?"

Frog nodded.

"Grrrrr..." Cyrus ghost said and swing his sword.

Lucca grabbed Frog and pulled him back, out of the castle.

"There's nothing we can do!" she said.

"There is!" Frog replied. "Just let me talk to him!"

Lucca shook her head.

"No! He won't listen! Let's... let's go back to End of Time."

Frog finally nodded.

They walked away to the Epoch and Lucca lifted it from the ground.

"End of Time next!"

"Wait!" Robo said.

"?"

"I suggest we have us a look in the year 600."

Frog nodded.

"Sound good."

Lucca changed the time-meter to 600 and pressed the button.

**X~X~X**

The land looked much alike. There were less buildings, of course, but the ruin was still there.

"Was that a ruin even now?" Lucca exclaimed.

Frog nodded.

They took down the epoch.

"Let's have a look." Lucca said and entered.

The ruin was more structural now than before.

Less room had fallen in.

With Frog in the lead, they walked deeper into the old castle.

"I wonder if..." Lucca said. "There's still ghosts here?"

"Wrong chose of word, Lucca." Robo said. "It should be 'I wonder if there were any ghosts here'."

"Whatever." Lucca said. "Perhaps we can ask him!"

She pointed on a skeleton.

"Hey! You're not alive, are you?" Lucca said.

The skeleton didn't answer.

"Good." Lucca said. "'Cause this place is scary enough."

"Lucca!" Frog suddenly said.

"What..." Lucca stepped back, just to evade a stonefall.

"Thanks."

The skeleton rose up.

"Hey!" Lucca said. "You're..."

"Dead." Robo added.

The skeleton didn't have any legs, so it flied around in the room.

"Yyyyiikkks!" Lucca exclaimed.

The skeleton picked up a scythe from a wall.

"Ooooppsss..." Lucca said. "Looks like we're in trouble."

Two more skeletons came hovering through the air.

"Hope these aren't invincible!" Lucca said and fired a shoot against one of them.

The skeleton was fast enough to move away.

Robo tackled one of them. It fell into a corner and transformed into dust.

Lucca picked up her hammer. She hadn't used it since... Since the cathedral, an eternity away.

She swinged it and tried to hit one of the skeletons.

Frog jumped up and dived after one of them. But they were all too fast.

Frog picked up a stone from the floor and threw it against one of them.

With a grin, it flew away and evaded. But it evaded right in front of Lucca.

She swinged her hammer and crushed the skull of the skeleton.

The rest of the body fell apart.

The last one stared at them.

"Cute." Lucca said. Then she launched a fire explosion inside the skeleton.

It scattered in million pieces.

"Let us go on." Robo said.

Lucca nodded.

They walked further into the ruin.

"What is this place?" Lucca exclaimed as the came into a quite big room.

"Cyrus..." Frog said and pointed on a tombstone.

He walked forward to it.

Lucca could read the text:

"Cyrus, the fool who challenged Magus rests here."

Frog stepped forward.

"Cyrus. I hath returned. I shall honor my promise to thee!"

Frog held up the Masamune.

Then, the room was filled with a blue color.

A transparent image of Cyrus appeared above the tomb.

"Cyrus..." Frog said.

"Glenn..." Cyrus answered. "Thank you... For making the journey here."

Frog looked down. He didn't know what to say.

"Dear Cyrus... Thou must... think ill of me."

"On the contrary!" Cyrus said. "You have come far, my friend.

When Magus defeated me, I thought of all those whom I had left behind.

King Guardia, Queen Leene, and of course, you..."

"Cyrus..."

"Your skill and dedication is superior! I can rest now, knowing that everyone is in good hands.

Good bye, my friend!"

The Cyrus image slowly faded out.

Frog stepped forward.

"Cyrus, wait! I...

I...!"

Soon, the image was all gone.

"The Queen..." Cyrus voice said. "Look after Queen Leene.

Alas, and... farwell... G...L...E...N...N..."

"Cyyyruuus!" Frog shouted.

He fell down on his knees.

"I'm so sorry, Cyrus."

Then,

"!?

The Masamune?!"

Frog held up his sword, who glowed.

The sword flashed and then hovered up in the air.

"Heh heh... That's it!" Someone said.

The sword started to spin around.

With an intensive glow, the sword separated into two pieces, who transformed in Masa and Mune.

"That was special!" Mune said.

"Quite." Masa answered. "I guess it means that a hero's powers comes from within."

"Mucho metaphysical, man." Mune said.

"Like, MIND over matter, Mune!" Masa replied.

Frog didn't really get their point.

"My... Mind?"

"Now for a yummy, full-on test!" Mune said.

"It's thrashin' time!" Masa replied.

They both gathered into the sword again.

The sword sunk back into Frog's hand.

Frog looked at it.

"'Tis flowing with strength and vigor!"

Frog swung it around and made a backflip.

"Ahh... 'Tis the identity of the Masamune!"

He turned to the tomb.

"Cyrus, I promise to fulfill your wishes!"

He held the Masamune above the tombstone.

"'Tis a sad farewell!"

He turned to Lucca and Robo.

"Onward, all!"

Frog left the room.

Lucca checked the inscription on the stone once again.

This time, it said:

"Cyrus sleeps here, avenged by his friend Glenn."

Lucca turned around and followed her friends out.


	7. Chapter 7: The Rainbow Shell

When Lucca, Frog and Robo came back, Crono was sitting in a corner, next to Marle.

"Lucca..." Marle said.

Lucca didn't answer.

"Ayla..." she said. "You heard what I said, right?"

Ayla didn't answer.

"I heard you, but I didn't care." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"Lucca..." Marle repeated.

"What?" Lucca said.

"I would like to talk with you."

"What do you want?"

"In private."

Lucca nodded.

"Okay... The gate room?"

Marle nodded and rose up.

She walked into the room. Lucca followed.

"What is it?" Lucca said.

"You know what it is." Marle answered. "Crono."

Lucca looked down.

Marle tried to look in Lucca's eyes, but it was almost impossible.

"Why?" Marle finally said. "You said that he was like a brother to you, but you're still jealous."

"Don't bother." Lucca said, and looked away.

"What's wrong?" Marle said. "Why can't you allow me to even touch him?"

Lucca didn't answered.

"Look." Marle continued. "You 'love' him as a friend. And I... 'love' him as a friend."

Lucca looked up.

"...Perhaps a little bit more..." Marle added.

Lucca looked down.

"I... Have known him for years... He was my only friend. A was so lonely when he wasn't home."

"I know." Marle said.

"And in a matter of days, you came into his life. And you changed it. I feel like I'm not included in his new life. You have taken my place."

A single teardrop fell from her eye.

Marle put her arm on Lucca's shoulder.

"I won't take him away. He'll still be your best friend."

Lucca dried her face.

"I know... But..."

Lucca nodded.

"I'm... Sorry..."

Marle nodded.

"It's okay... Let's go find that rainbow thing, Gaspar talked about!"

Lucca shook her head.

"No way! It's Ayla's turn. Ayla can take my place."

"And Crono?"

Lucca smiled.

"He can go with you. But promise to take care of him!"

Marle nodded.

"Don't worry!"

"Find rainbow?" Ayla asked.

Marle nodded.

"Yes we are."

But Crono shook his head.

"Not yet. Marle? Lucca? You come with me. We have things to do back home."

Marle and Lucca looked on each other.

"There are?"

Crono nodded.

"C'mon. In the epoch."

Crono jumped down into it.

Marle and Lucca followed.

"What is it?"

"Don't know." Crono answered. "First, we must tell everyone we're okay. Second, we all need some rest."

Marle and Lucca nodded.

Crono sat the time meter on 1000 AD and then pressed the button.

"How do you drive this thing?" He asked.

Lucca instructed him and then he landed it outside Lucca's house.

"So..." Crono said. "I'm gonna see my mom. Lucca?"

Lucca looked up.

"Oh... Well, I'll be heading home too. I guess dad have made something for me. Marle?

You go with Crono?"

Marle nodded.

"Okay." Lucca said. "See ya."

Lucca climbed out and entered her house.

"I guess..." Crono said. "Your little chat was quite... giving."

Marle nodded.

"Definitely."

X~X~X

"Hi mom!" Crono said as he entered.

"Crono!" His mom said. "There you are... I've been quite worried. Thank god your home at last."

"Eh..." Crono said. "I... Still got things to do."

"Well..." His mom said. "Hurry to finish them. I can't have you gone all days."

Crono nodded. He walked up to his room and threw himself on his bed.

"Ah... I'd almost forgot how soft this one was."

Marle sat down on his chair.

"Yeah..."

Crono looked up.

"You're thinking about return home... Right?"

Marle nodded.

Crono put his head back on the pillow.

"You don't think it's a good idea?" Marle asked.

Crono laughed.

"Of course it is! I just wonder why now? C'mon! Let's go see him right now!"

Marle jumped up.

"Okay!"

They ran down.

Just as Crono came out of his house, he looked up on the Dark Omen.

"I wonder how much it has changed the peoples life, that one."

Marle nodded.

"Yeah..."

Then Lucca came.

"Hey over there!"

"Hi Lucca!" Crono shouted.

Lucca ran the last part.

"Where're you heading?"

Crono pointed on the castle.

"There. Finally."

Lucca nodded.

"Okay... Let's go."

They walked away to the castle.

X~X~X

"Princess Nadia!" The guards said as she entered.

The Chancellor came down the stairs.

"I've been worried, Princess! I understand your pain.

But the king only really cares about his realm...

Yes, even when your mother, Queen Aliza passed away, he worked all day!"

Marle looked up on him.

"No one could do that! It's inhuman!"

The Chancellor turned around and started to walk up the stairs.

"Oh, child..." He said. "It's ancient history now..."

Marle ran around and stopped him.

"Tell me more!"

The Chancellor looked away.

"This may be difficult...

Well, Queen Aliza's condition suddenly changed for the worst.

She desperately wanted to see the king one last time, but he couldn't find the time to drop by...

Said he had some work to do...

But knowing nothing about death, you waited faithfully by your mother's side...

Aliza passed away in sorrow...

It's as the king indirectly killed her...Such a shame..."

Marle starred on him.

"WHAT..! Father KILLED?... MY MOTHER...?!"

The Chancellor turned back to her.

"But what do I know! There are reasons for everything, right dear?

Now... so glad to see you back again. Please go and visit the king."

He walked back into the throne room.

Crono looked suspicious on the guards.

"Eh... What happened after the... Incident?" Crono asked one of them. "You're not gonna arrest me again, right?"

"No." One of the guards said. "Since it is the 1000 anniversary, the King have canceled your sentens."

Crono nodded.

"Actually..." The guard said. "Only the Chancellor thought you were guilty."

Crono nodded.

"I see..."

The other guard turned to the shocked Marle.

"I'm so glad you're home, princess Nadia. The castle is dead without you."

"I'm no sure I'm glad to be back..." Marle whispered to Crono.

They walked up the stairs.

"Oh... Nadia..." The King said as they entered. "W, what do you want! I'm not giving in to your demands!"

Marle looked on him.

"..."

"It's your fault for leaving the castle!" The king continued.

"And letting these... hoodlums in here!"

Crono stepped back of surprise.

"Hoodlum to you!" Crono thought.

"You might as well beg for bread on the street corners!"

Crono and Lucca looked on each other.

"Stop it!" Marle said. "They're my friends!"

"They're a disgrace to this family!" the king said.

Marle looked down.

"Father, you, you..."

She looked away.

"You care more about your country than me... or mother!"

"What..!" the king said.

Marle pointed on him.

"You, ...you killed mother!"

The king rose up.

"!"

He looked down and gathered power.

"Get... OUT OF HERE this instant! I never want to see your face again!"

Marle looked on each person in the room.

"GOOD RIDDANCE!" she screamed.

Crono and Lucca jumped back off, surprised.

Crono nor Lucca liked this way of talk to ones father.

"We're no longer family!" The king said. "Do as you wish!"

He walked up the stairs to his room.

Marle looked down.

Crono was just going to put his hand on her shoulder when he remembered all guards and then decided not to.

"I..." he said.

Marle looked up.

"You heard him..." she whispered. "I can do as I wish. And I wish to kill Lavos. Let's go do it."

"And then?" Lucca asked.

"Who cares?" Marle said.

"Well, then..." Crono said. "Shall we go?"

Marle shook her head.

"No... I must get something from my room first."

"It's getting dark soon." Lucca said. "I'll get us a room on the inn."

Crono nodded and Lucca ran away.

"I'll go with you." Crono said and followed Marle up.

X~X~X

"Who're these?" Crono said as he entered her room. 400 years ago, this was Leene's room.

Lucca had been right when she said the castles were much alike.

Crono was talking about three persons who were standing in her room.

They had probably got the news of that she had returned.

There was one old man, one middle aged man and one nun-looking woman.

"I'm in charge of the princess' education!" the old man said.

"I'm in charge of her physical education!" the middle aged man said.

"I'm in charge of discipline." the nun said. "And she's missed almost every lesson this year!"

"Eh... Hi..." Crono said.

Marle ran to her locker and picked up some bottle of some sort.

"I knew this one would become useful!"

Then she picked out different things from her closet, and then walked out.

"But, princess..." her teachers yelled. "Where are you going?"

Marle turned around.

"Ask the king. He's bound to know!"

X~X~X

"Crono?" Marle said.

"Go ahead." Crono said. "I have to do a few things first."

"In the castle?" Marle asked.

Crono nodded.

"Well... I guess you have more permit than I... See you later."

Crono nodded.

"Yeah, later."

He turned back into the castle and walked down the stairs to the old Knights Quarter.

He walked down.

"What's up with the king?" He asked one worker down there.

"I don't know." the worker said. "It's something. A just can't figure out what.

Princess Nadia's a dead ringer for her mother. That's why the king is so strict with her."

Crono nodded.

The worker continued.

"After his wife's death, he only lived for Princess Nadia."

Crono nodded.

He knew this wasn't proof enough to suspect an old enemy but...

"I, too, hope the Princess returns. The castle is dead without her."

Crono nodded.

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh... Well, I... Never mind."

Crono ran up.

"Next stop... Truce inn!"

X~X~X

"There you are." Lucca said when Crono came into the room.

"What did you do?" Marle asked.

"Just checking some info."

"Marle told me about what happened." Lucca said. "Not very nice."

Crono looked around.

"Not really. Shall we see what we have?"

Lucca nodded.

"Okay... All coins here." she pointed on one bed. "All items here." She pointed on an other.

"And everything else here."

They split up everything.

"Okay... Let see..." Crono said. "13064 gold, 4 mid tonic, 1 full tonic and 1 ether, and... What's this?" he pointed on one item. "Was this the one you had in your room?"

Marle nodded.

"Yep. It's called 'MegaElixir. It's a powerful variation of tonic."

Crono nodded. "Okay... One Mega Elixir."

He checked the weapons.

"We have one dream bow for Marle. That's what it's called, right?"

Marle nodded.

"And one shockwave gun for Lucca. And finally my sword. The Alloy blade. What do we need?"

Lucca looked on the 'item bed'.

"More ethers. Perhaps some more full tonics. By the way,

I've got some more bomb-arrows for a princess."

Marle nodded.

"We'll ask Spekkio about ether, right?" Crono said.

Lucca nodded.

"And Fritz about tonic?" Marle said.

Crono nodded.

"Good. Let's get some sleep."

"But the clock isn't ten yet!" Marle protested. "How are we gonna get some sleep now?"

"Let's try..." Lucca said and smiled. "Crono IS right. We need some sleep."

Marle nodded.

"Yeah, but I just... Never mind."

They picked down their stuff from the beds.

Marle picked out some pajamas looking outfit from her bag.

"Cute!" Crono exclaimed.

Marle looked on him.

"I DO have more clothes home, actually!"

"I didn't mean that..." Crono said.

Lucca also picked up some night cloths.

"Now Crono... If you excuse us..."

"Oh..." Crono said. "Sorry..." he walked out from the room.

X~X~X

Crono knocked carefully on the door after a few minutes.

"Come in!" Marle said.

Crono opened the door and entered.

He closed the door carefully after him.

Marle and Lucca were lying in their beds

Crono picked up his night clothes.

"Now, if you excuse ME..."

Marle shook her head.

"Sorry..."

"Wha..." Crono said. "You mean I shall change clothes OUT THERE?"

Marle and Lucca laughed.

"Why not?" Marle giggled.

"You girls are..." Crono said and pulled away the sheet.

"What?" Lucca said.

"Wonderful..." Crono said a little bit sarcastic.

Crono changed clothes under his sheet and then tried to sleep.

"You think we can do it?" Lucca asked.

No answer.

"Don't know." Marle finally said. "Hard to say."

"Well..." Lucca replied. "You've met him once..."

Marle looked on Lucca's side.

"Then I would say he's impossible to kill."

"Really?" Lucca said.

There were a silence for a long time.

"Crono?"

"Mmm..."

"Who'll you take?" Marle asked.

"Huh?"

"Who'll you take? To fight Lavos?"

"Don't know... yet..."

X~X~X

When Crono opened his eyes, Marle and Lucca were still asleep.

Crono got out of his bed and dressed quickly.

He took his sword and tied it to his belt.

Then he walked to Marle's bed and carefully touched her.

"Marle..."

Marle switched side and said something.

"Marle..."

Marle turned from side to side.

Crono shook her body.

"Marle!"

Marle opened her eyes.

"Wha... Oh, Crono! Good morning... I guess."

Crono walked to Lucca's bed and woke her up too.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Marle nodded.

Crono walked out of the room and walked down the stairs.

There were not very many people here.

"Excuse me..." Crono said to the servant.

She walked to him.

"Come on in! Take your bloody time...! I'd rather serve you than going to the fair, anyway..."

Crono backed off.

"Sorry!"

He turned to the door upstairs.

"Are ya coming?"

No response.

"Apparently not."

Crono had to wait in ten minutes before they came down.

"Finally..." Crono said. "Fritz next then?"

Lucca nodded.

"After you..."

Crono took the lead and walked out from the inn and towards Fritz's shop.

"Welcome, Crono!" Fritz exclaimed as Crono came in. "Oh! Hi Lucca! Hi... Marle?"

Marle nodded. "That's right."

Fritz looked at her.

"You know... I know this sounds stupid, but... You look just like the princess..."

Marle giggled.

"Perhaps I do..."

Crono leaned over the disk.

"You got any tonics?"

Fritz nodded.

"Of course! What kind?"

"What do you got?" Lucca asked.

"Ehh... Let see... Ten mid tonics and one full. They're all yours for, say... 10000 gold pieces."

Crono shook his head.

"10000! You must be kidding!"

Fritz nodded.

"Perhaps I am. Let's say 2000."

Crono nodded.

"That's better."

Fritz called for Elaine who came in with a sac full of bottles.

"Here you go."

Crono handed over 2000 gold pieces.

"Thanks!" Fritz said and waved them good-bye as they left.

X~X~X

Crono, Marle and Lucca walked out and headed for the Epoch.

Then Crono saw an old friend.

"Cheren?" he said.

On distance, he could see a young man coming towards them.

"Who?" Marle asked.

"Cheren." Crono said.

Lucca tried to see if Crono was right.

"Yep. You're right. It's Cheren. Please god, spare us..."

Marle looked supriced at them.

"What?!"

Cheren came closer.

"Well... If it isn't... Crono! And with your girlfriend! How're you doing Lucca? Still busy with your explosives?"

Lucca looked mad at him.

"Not girlfriend. And not explosives."

Cheren smiled.

Crono watched him.

"Hey Cheren... Look who's here..." He pointed on Marle.

"Crono? What're you doing?" Marle whispered.

Cheren looked supriced on Marle.

Crono smiled.

"Your future wife... Princess Nadia!"

Marle really wanted to disappear from the surface of Earth.

Cheren look on her.

"I tell ya... It really is you, your majesty!"

Marle didn't answer.

"Why are you hanging around with wimps like Crono?"

"WIMP!?" Marle thought. "If you weren't a citizen, I would kill you right here!"

"C'mon Crono!" Cheren said. "Let's show her who's the man!"

Cheren draw two wood-sword. He threw one of them to Crono.

"C'mon! En garde!"

"This is pathetic..." Crono said.

Marle smiled.

"Have fun... Show him who's the man... I ask you for the sake of Guardia." Marle said, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"For Guardia, huh?" Crono said. "Okay. Gimme your best shoot."

"Ahhh..." Cheren yelled and swinged his sword with enormous power.

Crono blocked it with his sword and jumped to the right.

Cheren tried to attack again, but it was to much distance, so he missed.

Crono knew this, so meanwhile, he dropped his wood-sword and draw his Alloy Blade.

With one strike, Crono cleaved Cheren's sword in two.

Cheren threw himself on the ground and picked up the other one Crono had dropped.

"You... Cheat..."

Crono smiled.

"I do? Okay..."

He dropped his sword and fired a lightning bolt just a centimeter from Cheren.

"Now beat it!"

Cheren ran away, yelling.

"That guy belongs in Ayla's time." Crono said.

Lucca shook her head.

"Weren't you a little bit mean? To her, I mean..."

Crono smiled.

"Perhaps."

X~X~X

"Ayla!" Lucca said as they came back to End of Time.

Ayla nodded and walked toward them.

Lucca turned to Marle.

"Take care of him now. Promise me."

Marle nodded.

"I promise."

Ayla jumped down and took Lucca's place.

"Let's go find that rainbow..." Crono said.

"Count me out." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"Right." Marle said. "I guess it's the mythical Rainbow shell. I knew that the great explorer, Toma, tried to find it, but failed. That was the only thing he failed to find. Let's go ask him!"

Crono nodded.

"Okay... If I remember it all right, it was in the Middle ages he lived."

Marle nodded.

"Right."

Crono set the time meter on 600 AD and flew the Epoch there.

X~X~X

"Set course for Choras." Marle said. "That is were he was born. I guess we'll find him there also."

Crono nodded and flied over Medina and came to Choras.

Crono landed the Epoch just outside a house.

"Ayla, you wait here. This won't take long."

Ayla nodded.

"Crono hurry."

Marle and Crono walked out and entered the house.

"Who is it?" A voice said.

"Excuse me, but..." Crono said. "We're looking for Toma, the explorer. Do you know where he lives?"

"Try the café." The voice said. "He's always there."

"Thank you." Crono said. They walked out and entered the café.

And there he was.

"Toma!" Crono said and walked towards him.

"Hey... Crono, right?"

Crono nodded.

"The Rainbow Shell? Do you know where it is?"

Toma nodded.

"I've got a track of it. But I'm not telling you where."

"C'mon!" Crono said, but Toma shook his head.

"Sorry. But here... Take this." He handed over a pop. "If I don't return, come to my grave and pour this on my headstone. Gee, isn't this morbid?"

Marle pulled out Crono.

"He won't return." she said.

Crono nodded.

"I know. I've also read about him in school. Let's travel 400 years forward in time and see his grave."

Marle nodded.

They entered the Epoch and took it to 1000 AD.

"Stay here." Crono said. "This won't take long. I'm just going to ask about the grave."

Marle nodded and Crono ran away.

"You look for rainbow?" Ayla asked.

Marle shook her head.

"Not quite. It called the Rainbow Shell. It's a sort of seashell that shines like a rainbow."

Ayla nodded.

"Ayla understand. Rainbow have magic?"

Marle leaned back in her seat.

"I don't know. Gaspar said that we would become more powerful against Lavos is we did these sort of things."

Ayla nodded.

"Ayla understand..."

Marle looked out.

"How long it take!"

"Marle worried?" Ayla asked.

Marle turned to her.

"No. It's just that I... I... Never mind."

"Look! Crono come!"

Marle almost threw herself against the window.

There he came.

"Crono! You found it?"

Crono nodded.

"Yep. It's at the north cape of this island."

Crono climbed into the epoch and made it lift.

He flied it near a cliff who faced the ocean.

He landed just south of it.

"Let's go."

They walked up to the cliff.

On top of it was a gravestone.

"The great adventurer Toma Levine rests here... 3/6/634" Crono read.

Crono put the pop on the stone and stepped back.

Crono, Marle and Ayla waited for something to happened.

Slowly, a light came from the grave.

With a flash, a transparent image of Toma appeared.

"Crono, long time no see." Toma said.

"It's been a while..." Crono said.

"You kidding? It's been 400 years! How did you... Never mind...

I finally located the Rainbow Shell. But I was too old then. Perhaps you can find it?"

Crono nodded.

"I wanna give it a try."

Toma turned around.

"You see... It's over the... What?!"

Crono looked in the direction Toma pointed.

"What's wrong?"

"It was there... A mountain... Called the Giant's claw... But that was 400 years ago. What do I know about it now..."

"The Rainbow Shell was there?" Marle asked.

Toma nodded.

"Yep."

"Thanks." Crono said. "We'll find it."

"Well..." Toma said. "Time to show off..." He hovered up in the air and disappeared.

"See ya around..." His voice said.

"Yeah..." Crono said. "See ya around..."

X~X~X

400 years earlier...

"There it is!" Crono exclaimed. "The Giant's Claw."

"Can we land over there?" Marle asked.

Crono nodded.

"Yeah. There's lot of space."

He took down the Epoch just outside the cave opening.

"Let's go in!"

Marle and Ayla followed Crono closely and they entered the cave.

The cave entry was first turning right and then left, after that, they came out in a bigger room.

Suddenly Crono felt a déja vu.

Marle and Ayla looked like they did too.

"Do you... Recognize this place?" Crono asked.

Marle nodded.

"Is this the Tyranno Lair?"

Ayla nodded.

"Lavos fall and Tyranno Lair buried underground forever!"

If Crono remembered things right, this was Azala's room.

Yes...

There stood her throne...

There were the lights...

This must be the Tyranno Lair...

But how could the reptites survive that long?

Ayla didn't seem to care.

She walked right in the opening across the room.

"Crono Marle hurry! We find rainbow!"

Crono and Marle followed her deeper into the nest.

X~X~X

"Whoa..." Crono exclaimed as he was surprised by ANOTHER reptite.

The creature jumped over and tried to get a point-blank attack.

But Crono had too much experience of battles.

He leaped away and jumped back to attack.

"What are we up in now? 20? 25?"

"23." Marle corrected.

Then had been searching for the Rainbow Shell for almost an hour.

The old Tyrano Lair had changed a bit during all years.

There were some parts who looked like the fortress and some parts who looked like a cave.

Many screams came echoing through the tunnels.

"At least they know we're here." Crono said.

"Yeah. Perfect." Marle replied.

"Marle you think... Look out!"

Ten flying dinosaurs came in.

Marle dropped her crossbow and put her hands together.

She summoned all her magic powers and a shockwave of ice were shot out of her.

Huge ice blocks fell from the ceiling and crushed the dinosaurs.

"What do you think?" Marle said.

Crono looked around.

"I'm... Impressed... You're good!"

Marle picked up her crossbow.

"Well... I... I've trained."

They walked deeper into the cave.

"Quickly!" Ayla suddenly said. "Hide here!"

She jumped behind a rock.

They looked into a huge room.

In there were hundreds of reptites.

"Awesome..." Marle said.

"What are they doing?" Crono asked.

Ayla tried to see how they behaved.

"Ayla think..." she said. "They plan to block all entries. All reptits here. We fight now!"

Crono shook his head.

"Against all these?! You're crazy! It's just a matter of time before this island sinks into the sea, remember? We don't have to kill 'em all! We just have to get that Rainbow Shell!"

Ayla didn't answer.

"C'mon Ayla!" Marle said. "Let's go find it instead."

Ayla followed but didn't say a word.

They walked into a new tunnel. This tunnel was heading upwards.

"I think this is it!" Crono said.

Then,

Everything turned black.

"Hey! What happened?" Crono said.

"Don't know..." Marle answered.

Crono fired a lightning on of those torches.

It began to burn.

Then they saw they were facing a huge dinosaur, not much different from the one

Azala had in the final battle.

It roared and breathed fire.

Crono jumped away to avoid it.

Marle dropped her crossbow.

A shockwave of ice came out of her and freezed the nearby area.

Big ice chunks fell down on the dinosaur.

Crono leaped up and slashed it's head.

But it was like stone vs. stone. Crono fell back, followed by a beam of fire.

A crashing sound could be heard.

"Crono?" Marle asked.

"I'm fine." Crono said. "But my tonic aren't. They broke when I fell."

Ayla jumped up and kicked the dinosaur.

"Not strong enough..." Ayla said.

The dinosaur filled the room with fire.

Left on the floor was Marle, Crono and Ayla laying.

The Tyrano roared gleefully.

"You... Okay... Marle...?"

"No... I... don... 't... feel... very... well..."

Crono lifted up his head, but didn't have the strength to keep it up.

It fell down and everything went black.

X~X~X

When Crono opened his eyes again, a dozen of reptites were looking on him.

"Wha..." he said.

Then the big one roared.

The others jumped up and down in happiness.

"Looks like we're the main desert... Marle?"

Crono looked around.

"Marle?"

The dinosaur jumped up happy.

"Where's Marle?"

The reptites laughed.

"What have you done with Marle?"

The reptites laughed.

Ayla was missing too.

"Ayla? Damn it!"

They had taken his sword.

He found himself in the huge room they had spotted before.

Crono felt on his back.

One tonic left. The others had been destroyed.

He took it.

In seconds, he could feel how strength came back to him.

In a fast handmove, a lightning came up, striking one of the reptites.

More lightnings came from his hands, forming a complicated chain connection.

The curious repitets turned into black smoking reptites.

Crono jumped away before a fire breath from the big one came.

He ran to the edge of the room.

His sword.

He had to get his sword.

He ran into one of the tunnels.

It ended up in a room.

He could hear the Tyrano call for more but he didn't care.

The room was not big.

Just about ten meters.

A lot of thing were in here.

He searched through it.

There!

His sword!

It looked okay.

Crono picked it up and looked around if he could see any trace of Marle or Ayla.

And then...

Just beside a big boiling-pot, was Marle's crossbow placed.

Crono picked it up.

No arrows were left.

He looked around and saw that many arrows were sitting on the walls.

Some of them were bloody.

Had Marle been here and fought against Reptites?

But where were she now?

Crono looked down in the boiling-pot.

And screamed.

X~X~X

"MARLE!"

Inside it, was a skeleton, not too big, not too small.

It was warm and bloody.

Crono felt on the edges inside the boiling-pot.

It was wet.

Crono didn't want to think about what they had done to her.

He couldn't believe they had ATE her.

Crono picked up the skull.

The blood around it painted Crono's fingers red.

"Marle...

I'm... Sorry...

Sorry... for... everything..."

He took a shovel from the tools, and made a hole in the ground.

He put down the skeleton there, and placed Marle's arrow on top of it.

Then he felt something hit his back.

He fell forward and lost his sword.

"Stupid human!" a grotesque voice said. "You also want to be food for reptite like you friend?"

"Monsters!" Crono yelled and tried to kick the reptite away.

More came into the room.

They seemed to be arguing about what to do with him.

One of them picked up his sword.

They had decided.

Crono closed his eyes.

He wouldn't do any resistance.

"Wait for me, Marle..." he thought.

Then he could hear strange sounds.

Something came in and seemed to be kicking the reptites.

When Crono looked up, all reptites were dead.

Ayla was there.

"Ayla..." Crono said.

"Ayla got free..." Ayla said. "Me find you here. Me not find Marle."

Crono turned around to the grave.

"I'm sorry, Marle." he said.

Ayla walked forward.

"Marle... dead?"

Crono cried.

"She is... she is... Marle will no longer laugh. She will no longer cry. She will no longer...

be with me..."

Ayla looked down.

"Ayla understand. Ayla sad too. Crono not blame. Nothing Crono could do. Live and die. Rule of life. Ayla lost many loved too."

Crono nodded as he cried.

"I just wished I could see her one more time..."

"Crono not go longer?"

"What do you mean?"

"Crono not fight Lavos?"

Crono didn't answer.

"Answer, Crono..."

"I don't know... If this is how good I am... I don't know..."

"Crono not blame!" Ayla said again.

"Not Crono fault. No Crono could do!"

Ayla put her hand on his shoulder.

"Come. We go. Deal with reptite."

Crono nodded.

"I will. Just leave me alone for a while..."

Ayla nodded and walked out.

"I'm sorry Marle... Sorry for ever meeting you..."

He took his sword.

"But I shall not leave you here without justice."

He thought of what Frog had said.

"Fortwith, I shall slay the Tyranno, and restore honor!"

He walked out.

"Let's go, Ayla. We got some business to take care of!"

Ayla followed.

Two big dinosaur heard a noise from one of the tunnels.

They walked into it to check it out.

In the next moment, they flied out, without their heads.

The reptites in the big room got really surprised.

They all ran against Crono and Ayla.

With a big cyclone attack, Crono killed ten in one blow.

Ayla jumped up triumphing and dived down to kick a dinosaur in a three kick series.

In ten minutes, Crono and Ayla painted the main room red of blood.

The Tyrano watched as Crono and Ayla slayed his henchmen.

Crono walked toward him.

"You! Give her back!"

The Tyrano started to breath in.

"Crono move away!" Ayla said and leaped backward.

Crono watched the Tyrano.

Fire came out of it's mouth. Fire to kill.

To kill Crono.

Crono closed his eyes.

The surrounding area felt warmer, but on the same time cold.

Was he dead?

He opened his eye.

A shockwave of ice had driven back the fire.

Marle came jumping in.

Crono almost died of the shock.

"MARLE! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

Marle looked at him, surprised.

"Yeah..."

"But you... Ah... Never mind... Let's deal with this guy first."

"Yeah, and quickly." Another voice said before Crono, Marle and Ayla turned to see a raven haired young man.

Crono raised his hands. And so did Marle.

Ice and Lightning particles gathered in front of the Tyranno's head.

It created a kind of surface.

Ayla jumped up and kicked through it.

With extreme power, the kick blew right through the hard skin of the Tyranno.

A ball of lightning formed in the young man's palm as he ran forward and penetrated the dinosaur.

The dinosaur died.

Crono ran and hugged Marle.

"Marle... Thank god your alive..."

"Well..." Marle said, a little bit surprised. "I was a little bit worried about you too, but I... I knew you'd be okay."

Crono hugged her hard as he could.

"Is something wrong?" Marle asked.

"No." Crono said. "Everything is all right."

"Look!" Ayla said.

Marle and Crono ran into the room the Tyranno guarded.

Inside was a shell, which glimmered in all colors.

"THIS's the Rainbow Shell!" Marle exclaimed.

"Let's try to lift it." Crono said and they all grabbed it.

But they couldn't lift it. It was too heavy.

"It's too heavy..." Crono said. "I wonder if the people in the castle can help..."

"Let's go and ask!" Marle replied.

"I agree with you, Marle." Sasuke said, nodding.

Crono, Ayla and Marle ran down in the hall.

"By the way..." Crono said. "Marle? Do you have you're crossbow?"

"Yep." Marle said. "They were too stupid to take it off. Why?"

"Never mind..."

X~X~X

There were less Soldiers in the castle now.

"Looks like they won." Crono said. They had left Ayla in the Epoch since she didn't really fit in here.

"Yeah." Marle said. "With our help, they did it. But they had won no matter what, right?"

Crono nodded.

"Yep. If we hadn't interrupted Magus, Lavos would have killed him, and the mystic army would fall. We saw the result in Medina. They really worshipped him.

I wonder how thing are now, when we defeated Magus..."

"Hey!" One soldier shouted. "There they are! Those who defeated Magus!"

Crono and Marle could just watch how dozen of soldiers gathered around them.

"Thank you! If they had broken through the Zenan Bridge, this castle would have been destroyed!"

Crono smiled.

"Don't be too sure..."

After a few minutes, Crono and Marle got tired of all greetings.

"Sorry, but... We must see the King..." Crono finally said.

The crowd opened up and Crono and Marle could pass.

"Hello!" the king said as they entered the throne room. "You're always welcome here!

What can I do for you?"

"Why can't my dad be that nice?" Marle whispered.

"Sorry?" the king said.

"Oh..." Marle said. "I was talking to him... Sorry. We are here to tell you that there's a treasure to be found on the island northwest of Choras. It is the legendaric Rainbow Shell!

We just could get it here and wondered if you could..."

"I get it. You want me to keep that huge shell safe here until the next century, right?" the king said.

Leene turned to him.

"I ask for the sake of Crono. Please carry out their request."

The king nodded.

"Done! I shall obtain the shell and store it in the castle, as a national treasure.

Knight Captain!"

The gold-armored soldier stepped forward.

"Yes, Majesty!"

"Go and obtain the Rainbow Shell, and bring it back in one piece!"

"At once, Sire!"

He walked out of the throne room.

"Thank you, your majesty!" Marle said. "And Queen Leene too, of course!"

"Yeah." Crono said. "Thank you very much!"

On their way down, Crono turned to one soldier.

"How is it with the chef?"

"He finally made up with his brother. Right now, he's working on a 'great' dish. I guess he'll name it after his brother."

Crono nodded.

"Yeah. Probably."

They walked out from he castle and waved back to the crowd.

Then...

"Wait!"

Leene came out.

"Frog... Where is Frog?"

Crono and Marle looked on each other.

"We'll get him. Don't worry."

They walked down to the edge of the forest and jumped into the Epoch, where Ayla waited.

"Let's go. End of Time next!"


	8. Chapter 8: Saving the Guardia Line

"Frog!" Leene exclaimed as Frog entered the throne room. "So, you've teamed up with Crono! You've done a fine job. Please remain with us long as you wish."

Frog fell down on his knees. "... My heart is glad... Thank you, my Leige!"

He turned around and walked out.

"That didn't take very long..." Lucca said when Frog came back to the Epoch. Frog croaked but didn't say a word.

"Here we go..." With a flash, they were in End of Time.

"Back already?" Marle said when Lucca and Frog came out. Lucca nodded.

"Well... What's next?" Crono said.

Marle thought for a moment. "I would really like to see what changes the rainbow shell had created in 1000 AD."

"Agree." Lucca said. "Will it be us three this time?"

Crono nodded.

"Same old gang."

"I would like to go as well."

Crono, Marle, and Lucca turned their heads to see Sasuke, who was now wearing a short sleeved gray shirt that was zipped up to his neck under an Akatsuki cloak, presumably to keep in touch with Itachi, along with black wrist warmers that still kept his shuriken bracelets in them, almost matching Crono's gauntlets. The insignia of the Uchiha Clan was neatly stitched on the back of the shirt and Crono felt his heart accelerate as he surveyed Sasuke's new outfit, instantly noticing that Sasuke now had his bangs hang over his eyes.

"Nice outfit, Sasuke." Crono said, taken aback by Sasuke's new attire.

"Thanks, Crono." Sasuke said, smirking at Crono as he walked to the Epoch.

"What happened to your old attire?" Lucca asked, looking at Sasuke as she saw him smirk.

_After he, Crono and Marle defeated Danzō, Magus looked at Sasuke's attire disgustingly._

_"Duck Hair, you need to change out of that." Magus said, glaring at the dark gray sleeveless shirt that Sasuke still wore._

_Sasuke glared back at Magus before he took off his shirt and handed it to him._

_"I also need those bandages as well." Magus demanded, watching Sasuke unravel his bandages on his biceps before he picked them up and incinerated them._

_"What am I going to wear now?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Magus._

_Magus thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Your old attire but much larger compared to your size." He said, waving his hands over Sasuke's bare chest as a gray shirt appeared on it._

They jumped into the Epoch, and with Marle in the front seat, they traveled to 1000 AD. "Let's go!"

Marle landed the Epoch just outside the castle.

"Let me do the talking." she said.

Crono, Sasuke and Lucca gladly agreed.

Marle opened the doors.

"This is horrible!" Konohamaru yelled as he ran to the four.

"What is it?" Marle asked.

"Your dad is on trial!" He said, panting.

"WHAT!"

Marle rushed straight up to the court room. Two guards were blocking the door.

"Move!" Marle said.

"No entry allowed!" the guards said.

Marle looked around. Then...

"LET ME THROUGH!" she screamed in their faces.

The two guards move surprised aside, and Marle, Sasuke, Crono and Lucca entered.

In the courtroom:

King Guardia XXXIII stood in front of the suspects chair. The judge were sitting as usual, and the Chancellor stood of the prosecutors side of him. No defense.

The Chancellor stepped forward. "Had any of you heard of the "Rainbow Shell"? I too, had no idea until I found this..."

He held up a paper. "It's an ancestral will. It says "Unveil the Rainbow Shell to the people at Millennial Fair"."

"What are you talking about?!" The king said. "We have no family heirlooms here!"

The Chancellor took one more step. "So this is a forgery? Why does the defendant deny the people a glimpse of the "Rainbow Shell"? Because he no longer HAS it! He sold the heirloom for cash! Witness, please!" The Chancellor pointed at the door.

But then Marle came in.

"Wh, what is it Nadia? We are conducting a trial here." the Chancellor said, surprised.

Marle ran beside the King. "Father!"

"Nadia! The Chancellor is trying to frame me!"

"He hurls insults! Confirm your innocence with proof!" The Chancellor said.

"Proof?" Marle repeated.

"Yes. If he hasn't sold the heirloom, it should be in the castle. Show me the Rainbow Shell, and I'll accept his innocence, heh, heh..." The Chancellor turned around and walked back to his place.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on the Chancellor as he leaned forward and whispered into Crono's ear.

"Something weird is going on, Crono…" Sasuke whispered, his eyes still locked on the Chancellor.

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding, "Yeah. Definitely, Sasuke…"

Sasuke nodded as well, and waited for the men to continue.

"Chancellor!" The King shouted after him. "What kind of trickery is this?!"

The Chancellor turned around and pointed at Marle and Crono and Sasuke and Lucca, who were in the back.

"Remove them!" A guard came in and pulled Marle out. Marle tried to enter again.

"No entry allowed!" The guards repeated.

Marle screamed to them once again. "Let me through!"

But the guards didn't back off this time. "Princess, not even you may enter."

Lucca pulled away her from the guards. "Find the "Rainbow Shell", and we'll be able to prove the King's innocence!"

"What ARE you saying?! It's a lie! There IS no heirloom!" Marle protested.

Sasuke gave her an incredulous look.

"Don't you remember?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah. Sasuke's right." Crono said.

"We changed history back in 600 AD, so the "Rainbow Shell" should still be in the castle..."

Marle thought.

"Aha! The Rainbow Shell we gave to my ancestor 400 years ago is still here. It's probably in the basement!"

"Come on!" Sasuke said, running down the stairs with Crono, Marle and Lucca behind him.

Once down they could hear a strange voice.

"The boss is itching to avenge the grudge that's been in the family for 13 generations! Gee hee!"

"He's gonna frame the king!" Another voice said. "Go haw!"

Crono pointed on the floor. A wounded guard laid there.

Crono drew his weapon. Marle looked around the corner.

Two big snakes, so called Gnashers, stood there.

"Aahh..." the first one said. Crono leaped forward and cut it in two pieces. Marle let an arrow go off and killed the second.

Marle looked at the corpse. "So there IS a plot! Let's hurry!"

"Right behind you!" Sasuke said.

They ran further into the basement.

Meanwhile, in the Court...

A witness had now entered. It was a merchant.

"I confess. I bought it from the King. He said he needed the cash."

The King looked at him. "Liar! I've never even seen you before!"

Many voices came up from the crowd.

"Order in the court!" The judge said, hitting his hammer against the table.

The Merchant walked up to the Chancellor.

"Heh, heh. Was I convincing?" he whispered.

"Perfect!" the Chancellor whispered back. The Merchant walked out.

In the basement…

"Naga-ettes!" Crono exclaimed. "It was a while!"

He slashed one mystic dead.

"How long?" Lucca asked and shot another one. "The cathedral?"

Crono nodded. "Probably..."

Two more came in. But they got caught by a huge ice block, which fell down from the ceiling.

"Let's go!" Commanded Marle and ran forward. Crono and Lucca followed closely.

"There!" Lucca said and pointed at a door. Two gnashers came down from the ceiling.

Marle hit the first one with her crossbow, and kicked the second one out of her way. She entered the door and faced the Rainbow Shell.

"The Rainbow Shell!" She ran in.

"Yep..." Crono said as he slashed the last gnasher that tried to attack.

Then he and Lucca ran in too until…

"Wait." Sasuke said, walking into the room upon seeing three other people in the room.

One of them was a young man with pale white hair who was armed with a large sword on his back, the other had spiky orange hair, and the woman had bright red hair and eyes.

"Well, if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha of the Leaf." He said as Sasuke walked up to the trio, who he now knew as Karin, Suigetsu, and Jūgo.

"What are you three doing here?" Sasuke asked as Jūgo examined the Shell.

"Isn't this a letter?" Jūgo asked as Suigetsu looked at it.

"Yes, and I believe that the blonde haired girl must be Marle." Suigetsu said as he handed the letter to Marle.

Crono felt his heart accelerate as he walked up to Sasuke. "You know these three, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."

Marle opened the letter, and felt her breath become heavy and her eyes widened a tad when she read it.

"What is it, Marle?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, what does it say?" Karin asked.

"Dearest Marle, I know things are tough between you and your father. But nothing can break your bond of blood. Neither words of anger, nor great distances. Someday, when you have children, you will understand. The special bond is a part of a family tree which links us together.

\- Queen Guardia XXI, Leene."

Marle stood frozen like ice for a moment.

Lucca corrected her glasses. "Boy, can she tell it like it is!"

Marle nodded. "Father! Hang in there, we're coming!" She walked to the Shell and took a shard off it.

At the court...

"Members of the jury..." The judge said. "If he is guilty, stand to the left. If innocent, stand to the right."

The first one came in.

He walked to the judge. "Guilty!" He stepped to the left.

The next one came in...

In the basement...

Marle, Crono, Lucca, Sasuke, Karin, Suigetsu, and Jūgo dashed through the tunnels.

Two Naga-ettes showed up. But Marle didn't have time to argue.

The first Naga-ette got an arrow in it's throat, and the second got a Chidori to the stomach.

Marle ran up the stairs to the courtroom, followed by Crono, Sasuke, Karin, Suigetsu, Jūgo and Lucca.

The ran straight up to the door. The Guards were still there.

"Princess, not even you may enter." One of them said.

"You won't reconsider?" Marle asked.

"No, Princess." The guards answered.

Marle turned to Crono, Sasuke, Karin, Suigetsu, Jūgo and Lucca.

"What now?" Sasuke asked. "We can't just go in there."

"There has to be a way to get in there." Karin said, crossing her arms.

"There is one way... It's a bit rough, but just follow me!"

They ran away.

In the Court had one member voted innocent. The rest guilty.

"The verdict is in!" The judge said. "Guilty!"

The King turned around and looked down.

The Chancellor turned to the judge. "The Guardia line ends here. The domain shall be mine! Take him away!"

Two guards came in and grabbed him. They slowly pulled him back. Then...

"Wait!"

The Chancellor looked around, trying to see where it came from.

"Who is it?"

A gray shadow could be seen on the mosaic window in the back. The person climbed halfway up.

"FATHER!" Marle shouted.

Then she crushed the window and jumped straight through.

The jury became so surprised, they backed out from the room.

"Nadia!" The King said.

The Chancellor stared at her. "Princess! Control yourself!" He looked more majestic on her.

"You're too late! The King's been found guilty. Even kings are subject to our laws."

Marle turned to him. "No, this was a setup!"

But the Chancellor was sure. "Nonsense! The King's a crook!"

"But the treasure is right here!" Marle exclaimed and opened the main door to let Crono and Lucca in, along with Sasuke, Karin, Suigetsu and Jūgo. Then she picked up the shard.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" The chancellor exclaimed when he saw it.

"Your little scheme is over, Chancellor!"

The Chancellor turn away. "Grrr... I mean...uh..."

"Huh?"

Sasuke rested a hand on his snake sword. _'I knew it. This guy is a fraud.'_ He thought.

"Hee hee hee! It's not the plot you think! I'm here to avenge my ancestors! Super, ultra, presto, TRANSFORM-O!"

Flashes came out of him and he slowly transformed into a Yakra looking creature. The only difference was his skin. It was more blue than Brown this time.

Sasuke turned to the King.

"Get out of here!" Sasuke demanded, activating his Sharingan and discarding his Akatsuki cloak.

The King ran out.

"Who's this?" Crono asked. "Yakra the XIII?"

Yakra answered by launching some red-brown clouds on Lucca.

She held a hand on her glasses. "I can't see!"

Crono helped her to remove the object.

Meanwhile, Marle attacked with her crossbow. An arrow hit Yakra, but he didn't seem to bother.

A new sand blizzard came out of his mouth, hitting Marle this time.

Sasuke released a Chidori discharge and ran the current through his sword as he ran up and stabbed Yakra with one quick thrust all the way to the hilt.

Yakra fired needles from his back and struck Sasuke in the chest.

"Sasuke!" Marle exclaimed.

But when the smoke cleared, Sasuke was suddenly replaced by a pierced log.

Karin quickly threw a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it and Yakra was instantly blinded by the light.

Crono assisted her, while Lucca picked up a bomb from her bag. She threw it on Yakra, and it exploded with a colorful explosion.

Crono whispered something to Marle, and she nodded. Ice crystals surrounded her, and she threw them up. Crono jumped up and caught it with his sword.

With massive power, Crono dove down and drilled the sword into Yakra. Immediately, Yakra was trapped into an ice chunk, and Crono circled around it and cut the ice chunk into smaller pieces.

Finally, Crono leapt backward, while the audience cheered. Lucca picked up a new bomb.

"Fox2!"

Yakra was thrown into the wall. "OOOuurrrrgggg..."

He jumped up and summoned a Quake into the room. Crono, Marle and Lucca lost their balance, but were soon up again.

Crono counterattacked with his sword. Then he jumped forward again, and hovered around him with incredible speed, while he slashed Yakra one time, two, three and four! He jumped back.

"That'll confuse him."

"DDDDrrrrroooo..." Yakra roared and jumped up again.

This quake was stronger then the last one, but Crono, Marle and Lucca took far more to fall.

"Antipode!" Marle gathered all her ice power, on the same time as Lucca used her fire.

The entire room turned red and yellow explosions erupted all around Yakra.

Once Yakra got up, he said:

"Heard about it from the ancestors! You weaknesses are! This is it!"

He fired some black objects from his skin, who flied up and then hit Lucca.

Crono could see how they had transformed into big needles.

But it was a bad hit, and Lucca had the power to summoned powerful fire magic, for Crono to attack with. Crono jumped up and caught the fire coil.

It the same moment, a red cylinder surrounded him and Yakra.

Crono dived down with extreme power and hit Yakra with a mighty blow.

Marle put her cure spell on Lucca, who's wounds disappeared.

Yakra fired some new needles on Lucca, but she was fast enough to evade them.

Crono used his chain lightning spell, and Marle her most powerful ice attack.

"How much does he take?" Crono shouted.

"He doesn't have that much fight left in him." Suigetsu said, smirking as he brought his blade down on Yakra.

Two new needles came up in the air.

Both hit Lucca.

But again, it was a bad hit, and Lucca's west took most of the damage.

"I think he likes you." Marle said.

Lucca didn't answer.

She took up a new bomb.

"Fox 3!"

_**BOOOOOOM!**_

Once again, Crono jumped up and used Marle's magic to power up his attack.

But Yakra was alive and well.

"We'll see about that!" Sasuke suddenly said as he tightened the grip on his sword and quickly stabbed Yakra with one quick thrust all the way to the hilt, aiming his snake sword in between the eyes of the beast as a fireball erupted from his mouth and incinerated the monster.

"D... defeated again..." Yakra yelled and fired needles in every direction.

"AAAhh..." Marle yelled as one missed her head with a centimeter.

"Do something!" Crono said.

Jūgo smashed the beast into the ground with his fist.

With an explosion, Yakra's body became spread out over the entire room.

"Yuk!" Lucca said as she removed one needle from her helmet.

"That was disgusting." Suigetsu said, trying to remove the slime from his shirt.

"Here, Sasuke..." Crono said, handing a clean cloth to the young Uchiha.

"Thanks." Sasuke said as he cleaned his sword.

The King came in and looked around.

Marle holstered her crossbow and looked down. "Father... I..."

The King looked away. "No, don't say it. I was wrong to be so stubborn."

Marle ran to him. "No, I didn't even think about how you felt. Um... I know it in my heart, but the words just come out wrong."

The King turned to her. "I too, have that problem. I thought you left me, but realized that it was I, who abandoned you."

Marle didn't know what to say. Finally she said... "But I'm here now. We'll talk about everything that's happened. About Crono, my mother, and..."

The King looked down. "Your mother... How sad! It has taken me so long to understand what Aliza meant with her last words. "Someday when Nadia grows up, she will bring her beloved to meet you. Welcome him warmly. It will be the day you remember forever"."

Marle thought for a second. Then she looked at him. "You... heard her last words?"

The King looked up. "Of course! You were so young! You ran around saying "Daddy, it's fun having all my favorite people here!" Seeing you so happy, she left us quite peacefully."

Marle turned around and took a step away.

She closed her eyes. "So that's how it was..."

"Yes, why?"

Marle opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. "I used to call you "Daddy"?"

The King nodded. "You did."

She walked to him and let his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry... Daddy. I'm really sorry for doubting you."

Crono had listened very carefully to their conversation, though that it was quite private. But after a while his eyes caught something glimmy Yakra dropped on the floor…

Sasuke eventually saw this, picked it up and placed it in his right wrist warmer before looking at Crono and Lucca.

"Let's leave them alone." Sasuke said.

Crono nodded as he, Lucca, and the rest of Taka followed Sasuke out of the courtroom to leave Marle and her father alone.

**X~X~X**

Later, down in the throne room.

"I'll let you exit the castle, BUT!" The King said. "...you be careful, now. Take care of her!"

"Yes sir!" Lucca said.

"Don't worry!" Crono said.

"We will, Your Majesty." Sasuke said.

Marle looked at them and smiled.

"By the way..." the King said. "Wait here a second."

Marle nodded. The King walked up on his room and came down with a crossbow.

"Funny you were so skillful on your crossbow..."

Marle grabbed it.

"Careful!" The King said. "It's heavy!"

But Marle found no difficulties of carrying it.

"It once belonged to an ancestor of yours. It's called the Valkyrie. You won't find a more powerful crossbow."

Marle looked at it. "I've seen it in your room... But I thought it was fake!"

The King smiled. "I never let you look closer on it. But now, I would like you to have it. I'd feel more safer then." Marle nodded.

"Gee... Thanks dad. You can hang this one up instead." Marle handed over her dreambow.

"It's the one I shot Yakra with."

"Ohh..." The King said, surprised by it's weight. Then, someone came in.

"It's my turn, now..."

Sasuke, Crono, Lucca and Marle turned around.

"Melchior!"

Melchior made a small laugh. "Can't let you run the whole show. Let me make some weapons from the Rainbow Shell! Finally time for me to do somethin'. Watch and learn!"

"Sasuke, before you go, we would like to stay here with the King." Karin said.

"Thanks." Sasuke said, turning away.

"Good luck, Sasuke!" Jūgo said as Sasuke left the throne room.

Crono, Marle, Sasuke and Lucca followed him down to the basement.

Melchior studied the Shell. "This is a very rare! As armor, it deflects magic! I can make you one Prism dress, featuring maximum defense. Or I can make three less-effective prism helms. Which would you prefer?"

Crono thought for a long time.

Then, he looked at Marle and her small outfit.

Sasuke saw this and smirked.

"We'll take a Prism Dress." Sasuke said, earning a glare from Crono.

Melchior nodded. "All right! You just wait there!"

Half an hour later…

"There you are!" Melchior said, triumphing.

Marle looked at the armor. "Awesome! But it's... so thin!"

Melchior nodded. "But strong! This one will give you more protection than a steel armor."

Crono looked at it. "Cool!"

Melchior looked on the Shell. "I can't make more things from it right now. I need something to mix it with."

"Like what?" Crono asked.

"Like... Some power source of some sort. You heard about the sun stone when you were in Zeal, right?"

Marle nodded.

"Well..." Melchior continued. "I doubt that you'll find that one, but if you find any other power source, bring it to me!"

Crono nodded. "We will!" He turned to the girls. "Let's go."

They walked out, as Melchior studied the shell more.

"Wait here." Marle said as when they came up from the basement. "I'll go up and change to this."

Crono nodded. "Okay. We'll be in the dining room."

"Hang on a second." Sasuke said, heading up the stairs.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Crono asked as he, Marle, and Lucca also followed him.

Sasuke soon found a chest on their way to the courtroom, inserted the key into the keyhole with one quick thrust all the way to the hilt, pulled it out and opened the chest containing the real Chancellor.

"Phew, finally!" The Chancellor said. "That beast keepin' me locked up in here...!"

Then he saw Marle.

"Princess Nadia!"

Then he saw Crono and Sasuke.

"Your friends, I presume?"

Marle nodded. "That's right."

"Hello! I'm the Chancellor and... Wait a moment! I don't have time for this! I must plan for the Moonlight Parade!" He ran up.

Crono smiled. "Nice of him to say hello..."

Lucca turned to him. "Be glad it wasn't the real Chancellor who busted you before..."

Crono didn't answer. He ran up to the Knights Quarter to see how the Chancellor was doing.

The Chancellor looked up from his papers.

"Princess Nadia! At the Moonlight Parade, you shall receive a lovely present from me!"

"How cute!" Crono whispered.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."

**X~X~X**

"We owe it all to you! Eat what you want!" one of the chefs said.

Crono nodded. "Oh... We'll wait for our friend first."

The chef nodded and got back to work.

Marle came down after not long. "How do I look?"

Crono watched her.

"Pretty as usual."

Marle smiled. "I mean the armor! Can you see it?"

"Barely..." Lucca said. "You've hid it well."

Marle nodded. "What's for food?"

One servant came out. "We have... Refresh bread, Power roast and Crono special"

Crono, Marle and Lucca almost jumped up to the ceiling once they heard the last one. Sasuke even raised an eyebrow.

"CRONO SPECIAL?"

"A fine choice." The servant said. "This dish is named after a hero from the past!"

The servant went to the kitchen.

Marle looked at Crono, Sasuke and Lucca. "As always... Crono gets all credit!"

Lucca nodded. "Yep. I wonder if this is the 'great dish' the old chef worked on. The one that needed a great name... Well... It's better than name it after the knight captain."

Marle just giggled. "A hero from the past!"

"Hn." Sasuke's lips were pulled into an amused smirk. The whole situation really was kind of funny.

When the servant came back with the food, they were all laughing.

"Did I say anything funny?"

Marle nodded. "Yes, you did!"


	9. Chapter 9: The Sun Stone

Lucca sat down by the fence.

"I can't believe it!" Marle said. "CRONO SPECIAL!"

They hadn't recovered yet from the surprise.

"Hey everybody!" Crono said as they came up from the Epoch.

"Look at you..." Frog said. "Ladies weeping over your right and left..."

Marle sat down in her corner. "I can't believe this! I'm so happy!"

Robo beeped. "Yes. Now that Crono's here, everyone's cheerful!"

"Don't put us through that again!"

"Hn. Seriously."

Crono thought of their next task.

"And there's a very special stone that can shine its light on each generation, from the distant past to the far future." had Gaspar said. Crono said it aloud. "Anyone have any idea?" Crono looked on Gaspar.

Gaspar looked secretful away, really enjoying to hear them solve his words.

Lucca thought for a long time. "In Zeal... Remember the Sun Stone? They were using it's power before Lavos."

Crono nodded. "Right."

"It might just be the thing we need to defeat Lavos!"

Crono nodded.

"Right! But where do we find it?"

Lucca thought again.

"Good point." Sasuke said, throwing a kunai at the door to the Gate room.

Marle looked up. "A guy there said that they kept it in the 'Sun keep'. I wonder what happened to it after the Ocean Palace incident..."

Gaspar looked up. "You might want to try the future. Many things which have been kept underground for centuries might have come up."

Crono nodded. "Okay... We'll check it out."

"But..." Gaspar said. "You might need a good protection against fire..."

There was a moment of a silence before Sasuke cleared his throat purposely as he leaned against the door to Spekkio's room.

"I highly suggest that we head over to Ayla's time period to get some heat resistance armor." Sasuke said, crossing his arms as seven heads turned to look at him.

Crono nodded. "Okay! But you won't need me. I'm not the leader anymore."

They all looked at him. "What...?"

Crono looked down. "I don't think I can... make it."

Marle walked to him. "If you're thinking about the Ocean Palace... Don't do it. You're the best leader we can have!"

Crono looked up. "You think so? All of you? Though I make mistakes?"

They all nodded (except Magus, he wasn't part of the discussion).

"No one is perfect." Lucca said.

"For once, I highly agree with you. Sasuke…" Crono said, looking at the young Uchiha male.

"What?" Sasuke demanded, glaring at Crono as he activated his Sharingan.

It took ever ounce of will-power for Crono to keep himself in check as the young Uchiha that was Itachi's younger brother continued to glare at him murderously through his eyes, crimson with his clan's kekkei genkai.

_'It's that Sharingan again. Still gives me nightmares.' _Crono thought as Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan swirling.

"Who do you get to pick to take with you?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke thought for a moment, then shook his head. His Sharingan deactivated itself, much to the relief of Crono.

"I'm taking the knight and the robot." Sasuke said as he, Frog, and Robo headed to the Epoch.

Frog jumped down in the second seat of Epoch and waited for the others.

A few seconds later, they were on their way to the prehistoric era.

Magus started to feel uneasy and began to look around the End of Time.

"What is it?" Crono asked.

"Cretins! And they're still alive!?"

"You mean Ozzie?" Crono asked.

Magus nodded. "By the way, Ozzie had a hideout much like my castle..."

Crono nodded. "We'll take care of him later."

It took three hours for Sasuke, Frog, and Robo to get back.

"What took you so long?" Crono asked.

"We had to hunt animals to show that we were worthy of the armor." Robo said.

"But you got 'em, right?"

It was statement, not a question, but Sasuke nodded either way and held up three pieces of armor.

"Here you go."

Crono nodded. "Nice. Now, next stop is the future. I would like to take the lead on this one."

"Whatever you say." Robo said.

"And I would like Frog and Ayla with me."

Frog nodded. "I'm ready anytime."

Crono jumped down in the Epoch, followed by Ayla and Frog. "Let's go!"

"Keep your eye open!" Crono said when they came to 2300 AD.

"What are we looking for?" Frog asked.

"I don't know." Crono answered. "A cave or something."

"Cave?" Ayla asked. "I see plenty of caves!"

"Where?"

"Down there! Look!" Crono looked down. He could see one big and many smaller down on the surface. "We'll take the big one." Ayla nodded. Crono landed the Epoch and stepped out. The cave wasn't big. Only ten meters. In the other edge was a place where sunlight hit the floor. But nothing was here.

"Wrong cave." Crono said and walked out. They climbed up on the Epoch again.

"There Crono!" Ayla said just after take-off. She pointed out on the sea. "Island with cave!"

Crono could see an island with a mountain, but he couldn't see any caves. But it was probably just too far.

"You got great eyes, Ayla." He said. Crono took the Epoch to the island.

"This must be it!" Crono said as he entered. The interior looked almost like the Ocean Palace. Around in canals was some lava-looking thing floating.

"Here." Crono said and handed over a vest to each of them. "You better wear one of these." Ayla nodded and took one.

"Okay, where do we go now?" Crono asked when he realized that it was impossible to get to the other side of the room because of the lava river. In that moment, a huge eye jumped up from the lava pool.

"Geezz..." Crono said. Fire appeared around the eye.

"I can guess why Gaspar recommended fire defending armors!" Crono said.

"What is this?" Frog asked. "The Guardian of the Sun Keep?"

Crono nodded. "Probably." Protected by five fire flames, the eye circled around in the room.

"Shall we attack it?" Crono asked.

The eye answered by creating a huge fire explosion in the middle of the room. Crono was really surprised by the power of it. It was far more powerful than those Lucca created. Crono got up and attack the eye with his sword. A big fire wall protected the eye, and Crono's sword didn't get through. Frog summoned his water powers, and a waterwave filled the room.

But the fire was strong enough to resist. Ayla didn't dare to attack it. "Crono! Ayla can't do anything! Marle can fight fire!"

Crono nodded and picked up the gate key. "Hope it's enough magic in the area!" A gate opened and Ayla stepped in.

Marle came out with the Valkerye in her hand.

"IIIiihhheee..." She exclaimed when she saw the eye. "What's that?"

"The Guardian, we believe." Crono shouted back.

Marle looked at the situation for a fast moment. "Okay. Here comes ice!"

She put her hands together and summoned her ice magic. Ice crystals circled around her and then gathered in front of her. Then she launched a blue shockwave from her body, and let ice chunks fall from the ceiling. The eye was still alive. The eye looked on Marle,and then fired a red beam on her. Marle fell down like a doll.

Crono rushed forward. "Marle! Are you okay?"

Marle rose up. "Yeah. Thanks to Melchior's prism dress."

Frog jumped up and aimed for the fire this time. He cut one fire piece,and it looked like the eye took damage of it.

"Listen!" He said. "Hit it's fire, and it lose it's power!"

Crono nodded. "Okay!"

He jumped forward and attacked the fire Frog just had cut. After the eye had recovered from the shock,it spun the fire flames around it and changed the order, so Crono and his party couldn't see which one they had hit. Crono didn't mind. He jumped up and circled around one of the flames, while he was attacking it. The flame died out. And so did the others. The eye opened once again to fire a powerful spell. But an arrow flied through the air and stopped it. Drained of it's power, the eye flew deeper into the Sun Keep.

"Nice shot, Marle." Crono said.

Marle nodded. "Let's follow it."

"How?"

"There!" Marle pointed on the lava-river. "A bridge!"

And truly... A bridge was there.

"The eye must have activated it." Crono said. They ran over it and followed the eye. The eye had stopped between two statues. Crono walked towards it. Then it glowed, and transformed into a stone.

Marle looked closer on it. "Isn't this the ancient Sun Stone?" She said. "But it no longer glows..."

Crono thought. "Hey! Remember that guy in Zeal who spoke about it. He said that it could regain it's glow if you left it in the sun."

"Yeah!" Marle said. "But it might take a while, though."

"Hello everybody!" Crono said as they came back.

"You found it?" Lucca asked.

Crono picked up the moon stone. "Yep... But in consumed format."

"That was stupid of you." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

Gaspar looked at it. "I believe you can recharge it. But it might take a while. About 65 million years. But you're the masters of Time, so it shouldn't be any problem."

Sasuke groaned as he took the Moon Stone from Crono's possession.

"Leave this to us, Crono." Sasuke said as he placed the Moon Stone in his pouch.

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding, "Well… okay, Sasuke. I hope you'll do well." He said as Sasuke, Magus and Robo headed to the Epoch.

After arriving at 6500,000,00 BC, Sasuke placed the black object in the sun, then jumped into the Epoch and traveled to 1000 AD, only to realize that its gone.

"Someone from this time must have taken it." Robo said.

Magus did not move, but let out a low, long groan, as he looked at the young man and the robot.

"Let's go, Duck Hair, Machine." Magus ordered, walking out of the Sun Keep with Sasuke and Robo in tow.

Sasuke clenched his teeth and fought for control. He wouldn't give in, no matter what. He was an Uchiha. The blood of warriors ran through his veins. He was a legendary shinobi in his own right. He was strong. One of the best among the best.

He'd be damned if he allowed a former _blue_-haired Prince defeat him.

Magus smirked at him, as he placed his glove back on, then left to jump into the cockpit of the Epoch. Sasuke let out a loud growl as Robo also jumped in the Epoch.

"Sometimes, I wish you would stop calling me that." Sasuke said as he jumped into the pilot seat of the Epoch.

After flying around for half an hour, Sasuke soon noticed that a building was flashing due to the power of the Moon Stone. Sasuke snorted.

"Isn't that obvious?" Sasuke asked, landing the Epoch outside the mayor's mansion in Porre. "Wait here."

When Sasuke opened the door, he found a man sitting on a leather sofa while a woman, presumably the Mayor's wife, washed the dishes. Sasuke made his way towards the mayor while carefully avoiding the mayor's children.

"Excuse me, do you have the Moon Stone on you?" Sasuke asked, trying his best to be calm.

The mayor looked at Sasuke. "Moon Stone? Never heard of it!"

Sasuke looked into the Mayor's eyes and could easily tell that he was lying. Seeing no use to activate his Sharingan and trap the Porrean mayor under a genjutsu, Sasuke left the manor.

"Any luck?" Robo asked when he saw Sasuke leave the Mayor's Manor.

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But we can't take any chances. We have to head back in time to find out what happened."

"Affirmative." Robo beeped as Sasuke climbed into the cockpit.

Magus opened his mouth to argue, but then realized he had no proper response.

"Excellent job finding the Stone, Duck Hair…" Magus growled above Sasuke closing the cockpit of the Epoch. Sasuke glared at Magus as the Epoch rose up from the ground.

"We might as well inform everyone at the End of Time." Sasuke said as the Epoch entered warp speed.

**X~X~X**

"Well?" Crono asked as Sasuke, Magus, and Robo came out of the Epoch at the End of Time.

Sasuke shook his head. "Bad news. The mayor of Porre has the stone."

"WHAT?!" Marle exclaimed just before Crono covered her mouth with his hand.

"Alright, so we need to get it back from him." He said, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded. "I think the best solution is that we have to go back to 600 AD."

"Great idea, Sasuke." Crono said, nodding at Sasuke before jumping into the Epoch.

400 years earlier…

When Sasuke entered the building, he found a girl was running around in the house, talking about Tata, and the rest of the family was sitting by the dinner table. A woman was cooking food.

"What's next?" He asked.

"Leave this to me!" Marle said and walked to the woman.

"Hello! Is there anything in particular you need?"

The woman looked around, surprised.

"Oh... Are you not one of those who defeated Magus?"

Marle nodded. "Could be... Well... Is there anything?"

"Well... I... If only I had some Jerky, what a great meal I could make!"

Marle nodded. "Don't worry! I'll fix it!"

She walked out.

"You know anyone who can fix some 'jerky'? I knew the chef could. The one in this period."

Crono shook his head.

"Not him! He might be disturbed while making his 'Crono special'!"

"Hn, well," Sasuke cleared his throat, "Let's head back to 1000 AD and pick some up."

Marle gasped and looked at Sasuke with shock. "Sasuke, you just took the words right out of my mouth."

Sasuke smirked in amusement.

Crono nodded and entered the Epoch and took it back to 1000 AD.

Four-hundred years later...

"If I'm not totally wrong," Marle said. "It's the snail stop where we shall look."

Crono landed the Epoch and they entered the bar.

"Is... Isn't that a kiwala?" Crono asked and pointed on the piano player.

A Kiwala was the creature Spekkio was first.

Sasuke nodded.

"Yep. Marle told me that some monsters can co-exist with humans. Like him for example." He said.

Crono nodded.

He walked to the monster.

"Excuse me."

The player turned around.

"I'm the piano man, Joe!" It said.

"Joe?" Crono repeated.

Sasuke chucked.

He walked past Crono.

"Play a sad one, Joe!"

The Piano player nodded and started to play.

Sasuke listened to the tune.

It was really a sad one. It brought back memories from the time when Crono was dea... gone.

More than that, it brought back memories of when Itachi slaughtered their entire clan.

Finally, Sasuke turned to the bar-keeper. An older lady.

"Do you have any Jerky?"

The lady nodded.

"Yes I do. I got the best Jerky in town! But I'm saving it!"

Sasuke looked at her.

"Or..." the Lady said. "I could let some of, for say... 9900 gold pieces."

The others at the bar laughed.

"Very well..." Sasuke said and gave her the money.

The Lady was really surprised.

"You must really be hungry! Here you go!"

She picked up a steak from the grill.

She place it in papers and gave it to Sasuke.

"Thanks." He said and exited.

Crono, Marle and Lucca followed out.

400 years earlier...

"Some have Jerky!" the woman exclaimed.

Marle nodded.

"Yep."

"I buy it from you! Say... 10000 gold?"

Marle shook her head.

"Please..." the woman said.

"Nope." Marle answered. "I'll give it to you!"

"You're giving it away?" The woman exclaimed. "I though there were no kind people left in this world! You can bet MY children are going to learn the value of sharing!"

Marle nodded.

"That would be very nice!"

She handed over the steak.

"Okay!" the woman said. "Let's do some cooking!"

Marle left the house gleefully.

"Finished?" Crono asked, waiting just outside.

Marle nodded.

"Yep. Let's go and see if the mayor is that greedy!"

"The Moon Stone? You mean this one?"

He picked up a glowing stone.

Crono nodded.

"That one!"

"Oh! I found it a week ago on an island. It seems very important to you folks.

Why don't you take it?"

"Really?" Crono said.

"Yep! Here you go!" The man handed over the stone.

"Thanks!" Crono said and turned to Marle.

He mimicked:

"Great job, Marle!"

They walked out.

But just in the door, Lucca almost walked into one of the mayors children.

"Sorry..." Lucca said.

"That's all right." The kid said.

"Hey..." Lucca said. "Who do you like most?"

"My dad of course!" the kid said and ran in.

"Daddy! I'm home!" he shouted.

Lucca walked out.

"Someone asked that kid who he hated most." Lucca said to Crono and Marle.

"The answer was the same."

They laughed.

"Let's go put back that stone!" Crono said and ran to the Epoch.

He took it up and traveled to the cave.

"There we go." Sasuke said as he placed the semi-charged stone back in the light in order for it to absorb the sun's power.

X~X~X

The stone was shining brightly in the future.

"Amazing! With THIS much energy, I can make a powerful weapon! Let's go back to my house!"

"I'll modify the Sun Stone to extract it's energy..." Lucca said and put the stone into one glass cylinder.

"...Then we'll just vacuum pack in into a cartridge..."

She switched on the machine. A purple beam came up from the machine. After a few seconds, Lucca turned it off.

"...and it's finished!"

Lucca connected her gun into the machine.

With a few buzzing sounds, she picked it out.

Lucca jumped around and pointed the gun in different directions.

"May I introduce... The Wondershot!"

Lucca adjusted her glasses.

"Sometimes I amaze myself!"

"Very impressive." Sasuke said, amazed.

"Let's show it to Melchior, and see what he can do with it."

Later, down in the castle's basement…

"Ahh... A Sun Stone! I'll create an alloy out of it!"

After half an hour, Melchior handed over a medallion.

"Here."

Crono took it. "What... Is it?"

"Wear it, and it may show helpful." Crono nodded and put it around his shoulder.

"Heh heh!" Melchior said. "Don't think that's the last of my bag of tricks! But this one might take a while... Why don't you come back tomorrow?"

Crono nodded.

They walked up to Marle's room. She laid down on her bed.

"You can't guess how wonderful it is to be home!"

Crono nodded. "Oh yes,we can..."

Marle remained on her bed all evening.

They talked about various of things.

Finally, Crono and Lucca went home.

The next day, they met outside the castle.

"Do you know what Melchior is doing?" Lucca asked.

Marle shook her head. "No idea! But he's been working all morning!"

"Really?" Crono said. "Hope it's a sword. I like Melchior's swords more than this one."

Marle nodded.

They went down to the basement.

"Ahh... There you are! Here!" He handed over a sword to Crono.

Crono looked at it.

"It's called 'the Rainbow'!" Melchior exclaimed gleefully. "I've never made one of those before! Its the ultimate sword. Made with the power from the Rainbow shell, and the energy from the Sun Stone!"

Crono took it and waved it around. It was really a masterpiece.

"I finally feel like I'm doing something worthwhile!" Melchior said.

Marle giggled. "You start to sound like Gaspar!"

Melchior made a small laugh. "I do? Perhaps I do? Have you met him recently?"

Crono nodded.

Melchior looked up.

"I see... If you meet him again, tell him that the fate of Earth is turning in our direction!"

Crono nodded. "We will!"

Melchior left the building.


	10. Chapter 10: Fiona

**This chapter is for you, Sasuke Uchiha!**

**X~X~X**

"What's next?" Crono asked, sharpening his rainbow sword.

"I hath no clue whatsoever, Crono." Frog said, sheathing the Masamune.

"There is one more thing that we can do back in 600." Sasuke said, putting some water scrolls in his pouch.

"Really? What might that be?" Marle asked, looking at the young Uchiha.

"I overheard a guy in Porre saying that a woman named Fiona had perished while she and her husband were trying to fertilize the forest back to its former glory." Sasuke said, looking at everyone in the End of Time.

"Good idea, Sasuke…" Crono said, sheathing his sword and walking up to the young Uchiha. "By the way, how old are you now?"

"Eighteen." Sasuke answered as he looked at Crono. "Why?"

"We wanted to have a special party for you. Is that okay?"

"Sure, I guess. But first, we need to restore the forest."

"I agree with thee, Sir Sasuke." Frog said, looking up at Sasuke. "Hast thou decided on whom to take with thee, since it is thine birthday?"

"I'm going to pick Crono and Marle for this." Sasuke said as he headed towards the Epoch with Crono and Marle in tow.

"Keep your eyes peeled!" Crono said when he, Marle, and Sasuke traveled to 600 A.D. in Epoch.

"What is it that we're searching for?" Marle asked.

Crono thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know. A sand whirlpool or something."

Sasuke, who had his eyes closed, instantly reopened them to reveal his Sharingan.

"Crono… land outside the woods."

Crono nodded and landed the Epoch outside the woods as he opened the glass dome of the cockpit, allowing the engines to cool down as he, Marle, and Sasuke jumped down.

"What now, birthday boy?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But follow me." He said, walking towards the desert and sinking in quicksand.

Once they descended, Crono, Marle, and Sasuke soon discovered that the sand whirlpool was a nesting ground for many monsters.

"I think I found the solution to the forest becoming a desert." Sasuke said, pointing to a large pelvic bone that rose out of the sand.

"Oh." Crono said as he took out his rainbow sword and chopped the bone in two.

But it didn't work.

As soon as the prismatic sword made contact, the large pelvic bone immediately rose up from the sand, instantly growing two large skeletal legs in the process. On top of that was a giant skull attached to the ribcage it produced, with two skeletal arms guarding its pelvic area. On its back were two skeletal wings and right in between the two parts of the massive skeleton was an eyeball looking thing that served as the creature's core.

Crono immediately leapt back a bit before sending a lightning bolt through the creature's cranium, but the monster raised its arms to guard against it just before a spear of lightning penetrated through the arms.

Crono looked to see who had cast the sharp spear, and saw that it was Sasuke, who had his arm raised up and was coated in a white light.

"Sasuke!"

"Let's kill this guy off so we can continue." Sasuke said, lowering his arm and pulling his katana out as he and Marle approached him.

Crono immediately nodded before Sasuke summoned a tsunami to weaken the massive beast, and upon hearing the sound of the sand hardening, Marle gasped and looked at the two.

"Guys, I think this thing is weak against water and ice." She said, looking at them.

"You're right, Marle." Crono said shortly before the monster suddenly grabbed him.

"Crono!" Marle shrilled just before Sasuke interrupted her.

"I got this." Sasuke said, quickly weaving a couple hand signs and incinerating the skeleton with a fireball that erupted from his mouth. The huge skeletal monster roared in pain as it released Crono from its grip before he landed between the princess and the Uchiha survivor.

"Ready?" Sasuke asked before Crono nodded.

Jumping high into the air with his sword in a stabbing position, Crono stabbed the monster's cranium as Sasuke aimed and channeled his Chidori to Crono's sword like a lightning rod, electrocuting the beast until it turned into a large pile of ash as soon as the Chidori charged sword made contact.

"I bet Fiona will be happy now." Marle said, smiling at Crono and Sasuke.

"You're right, Marle." Crono said, sheathing his sword as Sasuke did the same.

**X~X~X**

"Thank you for routing the beasts." Fiona said as soon as Crono, Marle, and Sasuke entered her house. "Unfortunately, it'll take years to revive the forest. I wish I could live long enough to see my wish come true!"

"What do you think?" Crono asked, looking at Marle and the young Uchiha.

"Robo can take my place. I'm outta here." Sasuke said, walking into a Gate that Crono summoned. Robo came out soon afterward.

"You can get me later." Robo said, heading out of the building as Crono summoned another Gate and Sasuke came out of it.

**X~X~X**

When they came back to 1000 AD, the desert was replaced by a lush forest that surprised Crono, Marle, and Sasuke as they descended from the Epoch.

"I guess you were right about this place being a forest once, Sasuke." Crono said, looking at Sasuke.

"Hn. Whatever." Sasuke said as he entered a church located at the center of the forest. He opened the door and walked inside with Crono and Marle following behind him.

As they entered, Marle gasped as she saw a completely rusted and deactivated form sitting in the sunlight.

"Crono, Sasuke, look." Marle said as she, Crono and Sasuke entered the shrine.

Looking up at the shrine, Crono felt his heart accelerate as he and Sasuke saw a rusted and deactivated Robo sitting in the sunlight that beamed down on him through the stained glass window.

"Isn't that... Robo?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded. "I guess he did it. Let's get him."

"Wouldn't that anger the nuns?" Marle asked, looking at the nuns that were in the pews in the aisle.

"I'm sure they won't mind." Crono said, looking at Sasuke as the raven haired young man nodded.

As they approached the shrine, Crono and Marle both froze and stood back as Sasuke pulled Robo out of the sunlight and, after shocking him with his Chidori to help restart his circuits, Robo came back to life.

"Systems reactivated. W... where am I?" Robo asked as his eyes flickered back to life and saw Sasuke.

"You're still with us." Sasuke said.

"Ah, Sasuke. Good to see you. For you, it was a short trip, but for me, four hundred long years had passed. But it was worth it. The forest has returned. Now, let's celebrate our four hundredth year reunion." Robo said despite the dust that covered him.

"Sounds like a plan." Crono said, holding the Gate Key.

**X~X~X**

The reunion was set in the forest that Robo had brought back to life as eight people sat around the campfire after eating a quick meal that Sasuke himself made on his eighteenth birthday.

"This good." Ayla said as she wolfed down three rice balls.

"Aye, I thank'eth thee for celebrating thine birthday, Sir Sasuke." Frog said, drinking his tea.

"Sasuke..." Crono said, rolling over and facing the young Uchiha.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Happy birthday."

Sasuke smirked at Crono before returning to his sleeping bag, not realizing that Lucca walked off.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Crono said, smiling.

* * *

Once her friends were all asleep, Lucca stood up to take a walk in the trees to clear her mind. A dream... it was just a dream... she tried to remind herself, but it was far worse than just a dream. She had lived the accident yet again, still unable to do a thing about it. She looked around, reassuring herself that it was only a dream, and she saw it: A deep blue flicker not fifty feet down the wooded path, nestled between the roots of a tree.

"A Gate?" she whispered to herself. Curiosity got the better of her. She dug around in Crono's haversack for the Gate Key, walked softly to the Gate, and touched it with the Key. It expanded into a pool of fiery colors. She was leery of stepping through, but her curiosity won out. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Lucca stepped through the red-orange pool.

She had forgotten how lonely it was to hurtle through the infinite threads of time without a companion. The last time she had done so seemed to be years ago, though she knew it wasn't - it had been when she had gone searching for Crono, just after her Telepod had malfunctioned. She shivered at the icy wind that blasted at her face. Before she knew it, she had been deposited in a room.

Lucca stood up. She looked around, taking stock of her location. She straightened her glasses, which had gone askew. Her ears were ringing horribly and she felt awfully dizzy, but she knew instantly where she was. It was her own bedroom - but something was amiss. While it was certainly the same room she had grown up in, the floor was... clear. The books that were always strewn about it were oddly absent. _I don't think my room has been like this since about ten years ago,_ she thought, then gave a start.

Ten years ago. Lucca's eyes widened in alarm at the memory of what had happened then. "Did I make it back... to that moment?" she whispered. A page from her diary on the floor captured her attention. She read it:

_6/24/990CE_

_Dad promised to go hiking with me, but he blew me off again due to his work. I hate science! I loathe it!_

Yes... Lucca was standing, as she expected, ten years ago. Before the accident had occurred by a week or two, if the diary entry was recent... but it might not be recent. The scrawled-on paper fluttered to the floor as she stumbled out onto the balcony adjoining her room, overlooking the house's main area.

Her fears were confirmed. There was her mother, doing housework. Standing. Walking. And there, playing in the corner, was a young girl with violet hair.

Lucca realized she was looking at a seven-year-old version of herself.

Lara mumbled as she dusted, casting glances at Taban's latest creation: a garbage compactor. Finally, she said in exasperation, "What _is_ this thing? Taban says to keep away from it, but it's so dusty. I'll just..."

Lucca wanted to shout a warning, but no sound left her throat. All she could do was watch in horror as Lara stooped over the conveyor belt with her feather duster.

"Dear me!" Lara cried, right on cue. "My skirt... it's... I'm _stuck!_ Lucca! Lucca, _help!_"

The young Lucca dropped her toy kitten and rushed over to help her mother. "I can't pull it out," she whimpered.

As Lara frantically tugged at her skirt, her foot slipped, stamping down on the conveyor belt, activating its pressure sensors. The belt began to move. Lara screamed. "Lucca! Enter the password! Stop this machine!"

"But I don't know it, Mommie!"

Lucca felt a pounding in her head as she rushed back through her room and down the stairs. She charged up to her parents' room and ransacked her father's dresser drawers. Socks... spare screwdriver... love note from Lara... nothing. In desperation, she rushed to the kitchen. There, on the kitchen table, sat a single sheet of blue paper. Blueprints.

Lucca grabbed them and frantically searched for some clue as to what the override password might be. Finally, she found it.

_The password is... the name of my lovely wife. Use it in an emergency._

Lucca saw her younger self randomly pulling levers and pushing buttons, desperately trying to halt the progress of the belt. The older Lucca took a deep breath and searched for the "abort" button.

She found it. "Enter password," said Taban's voice. Hastily, Lucca typed in her mother's name. The belt stopped. Lucca exhaled and pressed the main power switch. All of the machine's lights dimmed. The pressure sensors would be deactivated now.

The seven-year-old Lucca rushed to the center of the belt and hugged Lara around her legs. "Thank goodness, Mommie," she said.

A tear rolled down Lara's cheek as she stroked young-Lucca's hair. "Lucca... Lucca..."

Lucca woke the next morning when a dust bunny tickled her nose. Checking to see that no one was around, she rolled out from under her bed. She recalled what her younger self had spoken aloud last night when she wrote in her diary:

_7/2/990CE_

_I feel like I've learned something! I'll study machines now. There'll be no more accidents around here._

The nightmares would be gone. She stepped back through the fire-colored Gate to the forest.

Robo waited for her at the other end. "Who activated you?" Lucca asked.

"You did, Lucca," Robo beeped. "You had not shut me down entirely when you went to sleep. My sensors detected temporal activity, so I came to investigate. Might you inform me of what happened beyond the red Gate?"

She told him.

"Lucca," said Robo, "you've got a kind heart. You're always thinking of others." He opened a small panel in his chest, and produced a small, yellow-green gem. "This is for you," he said. "It's a piece of amber I created using the sap from a tree in my forest. It took four hundred years and a lot of pressure to make! I hope you find it useful."

Lucca took the marvelously-light stone and smiled. "Robo... you're so sweet."

Robo only beeped in reply.


	11. Chapter 11: Sasuke

**Author's Note: This chapter contains s****poilers for Chapter 698 and Chapter 699 of Naruto!**

* * *

**End of Time, circa ∞**

In the relative darkness and quietness of the End of Time, Marle smiled and sat back, crossing her legs and swaying gently but then noticed that they were missing someone.

"Crono..." she said, breaking the silence.

"What is it, Marle?" Crono asked, looking at her.

"Aren't we missing someone?" Marle asked, looking around the End of Time.

Crono felt his heart accelerate as he quickly scanned the room and noticed that a katana was lying on the floor, indicating that someone already left.

And that someone was Sasuke Uchiha.

"Yeah. Where's Sasuke?" Crono asked, picking Sasuke's sword off the ground upon realizing that the young Uchiha was once again gone.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Sasuke ever since Fiona's forest got flourished again." Lucca said, pushing her glasses up to her face as she poked her nose back in her science book.

Magus did not move, but let out a low, long groan, as he looked at Crono through his cold, red eyes.

"If you must know, Duck Hair said that he was going to his time to settle an old score with Fox Boy at a place known as the Valley of the End." Magus said, pointing at the gate that Sasuke took to head back to his time.

"Fox Boy?" Marle repeated, realizing that Magus was clearly and obviously talking about Naruto Uzumaki. "You're talking about Naruto, aren't you Magus?"

Magus nodded in response as he turned away from Marle to continue looking at the gray void, his blood-red cape flowing along with his ocean blue hair. Crono looked at Magus and realized that he was thinking about getting his revenge on the power hungry Queen that was his mother.

Frog croaked as he looked up from his sword.

"Aye, thou must get to Sir Sasuke and Sir Naruto before Lady Sakura gets there first." He said, returning his gaze to the Masamune.

"We have to get him, Marle." Crono said, jumping into the Epoch with Marle.

"Hold on, Crono." Gaspar said, looking at Crono as he and Marle vaulted up on the platform again. "I have to tell you what would've happened if Sasuke didn't join your team."

"So... What you're saying is that Sasuke wants to make a revolution to recreate the shinobi world in his image?" Crono asked, piecing together what Gaspar had said.

"Apparently." Gaspar said, nodding. "He also had to put Sakura under a powerful genjutsu."

"How did he do it?" Marle asked, fearing the answer.

"Sasuke had ran his arm through her heart." Gaspar said grimly.

"But why did Sasuke do that?" Crono asked.

"Yeah. Why Sasuke do that?" Ayla asked.

"Apparently, Duck Hair doesn't want Green Eyes to interfere with his and Fox Boy's battle." Magus said, still looking at the grey void.

"Aye, it may be true. But alas, 'tis is Sir Naruto's fight and Sasuke is going to lose." Frog said, sheathing the Masamune.

**X~X~X**

**May 1010 A.D**

The morning light had woken Sasuke and Naruto up. Sasuke was surprised that they were still alive. It looked they had failed to die again.

Naruto kept complaining about not being able to move, because he had been determined to clobber him again and finally make him open his eyes.

Then Sasuke laughed. Laughed. A real, genuine laugh. He had never laughed like this in so long that it felt so strange, that even Naruto looked a little freaked out that the normally emotionless, angry, dark Sasuke Uchiha was laughing for real. But Sasuke didn't care. They were all pretty messed up, and Sasuke just couldn't believe that Naruto was still up for another fight. It was hilarious.

_If only you can see me now, Sakura._

Naruto was truly serious about, claiming that he would keep doing it, no matter how many times. Looking towards the blue sky, Sasuke admitted with a smile that he lost.

Naruto lost his temper and ranted that it wasn't about winning or losing, and that it was about punching a sulking friend and making him snap out of it. He then said that the real match that he wanted came after that.

After that. Sasuke's smile faded and he closed his eyes in pain. He had no intention of there being anything else for him afterward. He did not expect to survive this fight. He did not even...expect his final wish to be granted.

Sakura. Just to look into her beautiful eyes, to touch her petal-like hair, feel her tender touch...it was likely he would never get that luxury ever again. He would probably die before she would wake up from the genjutsu he threw at her...and even by then, she would probably not forgive him this time. That was fine. He couldn't even forgive himself. But all the same, there were things he wanted to tell her...things he wished he had time to say, wished he knew how to say, but couldn't...

I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so sorry...

"Hey, Naruto..."

"Huh?"

"I've acknowledged you now..." murmured Sasuke. "If I die here, the long cycle of destiny the Sage of Six Paths mentioned will probably end as well. This type or revolution, too. You can undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi after...after I'm dead...by transplanting my left eye into Kakashi or someone else."

_Forgive me, Sakura...Naruto...for what I plan to do next..._He opened his eyes, and for a moment, he could once again see Sakura's soft, smiling face in the morning sky, her cherry-blossom pink hair matching the sunrise and green eyes bright like spring leaves. Beautiful...Sasuke felt peace settle in his soul in that moment.

"I...will put an end to myself," he whispered.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" roared Naruto instantly, startling Sasuke. His blue eyes were blazing with fury. "You're not gonna kill yourself, dammit! You dying ain't gonna settle things! Not for you, or me, or Sakura, or Kakashi, or anyone else! If you'd go that far, then live, and help me instead! What I wanna do is help get all shinobi to cooperate with each other! Including you!"

"Just because it's what you want," said Sasuke, tiredly, "that doesn't mean others will agree to it."

Just because you will accept me back, that doesn't mean anyone else will. It's already too late, Naruto.

"Then I'll stop you again!" said Naruto determinedly. Then he added with confidence, "Actually, I know you're not gonna do that kind of thing anymore."

"..." Sasuke stared at him sadly. "How can you say that?" he said so softly that it was a good thing Naruto had sharp hearing. "How can you be so sure?"

"Gargh! Don't make me keep repeating myself! Do you still not understand anything?!" Naruto scoffed and said coyly, "Now that I think about it, you were always pretty stupid, too! I..." Naruto stopped and his eyes widened in shock when seeing a tear visibly run down Sasuke's cheek from his closed eye, leaving a dirty streak along with his bloody eye trails. The heavy blood bleeding from their stumps mixed together.

"Shut up...you loser," muttered Sasuke, staring up the sky. Naruto chuckled.

They lay in silence.

"But just in case..." Naruto said finally, staring up the morning sky with his friend. "Any regrets?" When Sasuke didn't answer, Naruto winced and chuckled uneasily. "Eh-heh, sorry. Stupid question. Forget I said-"

"Sakura."

Naruto glanced over in surprise when hearing Sasuke whisper his pink-haired teammate's name. Sasuke, not looking at him, slowly shut his eyes, his jaw trembling. He seemed to be trying, but unsuccessfully, holding back his pain.

After confirming that he heard correctly, and the meaning behind it, Naruto sighed and nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "Me, too." He smiled a little. Somehow, it made the jinchuriki happy that the Uchiha was finally acknowledging Sakura...if he hadn't before, but for that, it also gave Naruto even more reason to want another go at Sasuke and kick his self-centered ass to next month. And a little sad, because not only was it confirmed that he would possibly lose the chance for winning his longtime crush's affections to his newly saved friend, but that there may never be a chance for Sakura to ever know that, and that made it worse.

Sasuke grunted a little skeptically. Naruto wasnot the one who wronged her more often than not. Why should he have any regrets when he had always been there for her, while all Sasuke ever did was the exact opposite? The reminder was salt in the wound.

"She'll forgive you, you know," murmured Naruto.

Sasuke smirked sadly, and shook his head slightly.

"No, she won't," he whispered softly. He had made sure of it. "Not this time...and I wouldn't blame her..."

"She will," Naruto insisted stubbornly. "Whatever happens...if not now, she'll eventually forgive you. She loves you that much. Believe it!"

Sasuke made small noise at Naruto's words, another treacherous tear running. It was hard to stay unemotional when on the verge of death, and Naruto knew it, that vindictive idiot.

But his words were torture. Wishful thinking.

What had he ever done to Sakura to deserve her love, or her forgiveness?

Although, he secretly hoped that the dobe was right.

Otherwise...Sasuke just didn't know anymore.

He had never not have Sakura love him, never mind hate him.

He was almost afraid of living long enough to ever find out...but he needed to.

Even if hers would be the last face he would ever see in this world. It would be enough.

**X~X~X**

When they arrived at the Valley of the End, Crono and Marle both froze as they noticed that the two stone statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju were completely annihilated, clearly indicating that both Sasuke and Naruto had fought for the last time and settled their feud once and for all.

"No way." Crono said, looking down at the remnants of the two statues in awe.

"By the Gods, they completely annihilated the entire area around them." Marle said, looking at the remains of the valley.

Crono stood still for a moment as he examined the rubble that used to be the statues of Madara and Hashirama until he spotted two men lying on one of the fingers. His thoughts were cut off when he heard Sakura and Kakashi also arrive at the battlefield.

"There they are!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Of course, they would be here," mused Kakashi, who was being supported with his arm slung over the shoulders of Sakura. They were the cliff that loomed over the Valley of the End. The great monoliths of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju guarded either side of the broken waterfall that bore rocks and debris from all the previous destruction, but their arms were broken off. They missing pieces lay crossed over each other in chopped pieces, two fingers from each side that had been originally forming a sign were now crossed over each other. Hooked together, as though displaying the unbroken ties of friendship.

"I see them too!" Crono said as he looked at the two fingers, seeing two men looking at the sky.

"Where are they?!" Marle asked, looking at Crono.

"On the remains of Madara's statue." Crono said, looking at Marle.

Marle looked closer to see what Crono was pointing at.

And sure enough, on top of those crossed fingers, were the two tiny, unmistakable figures of Naruto and Sasuke.

Their chakras were faint, but alive, and the fact that they weren't moving told Sakura that they were injured. Badly.

Placing Kakashi down, the kunoichi sped down the cliff with controlled chakra, her heart beating fast with panic and worry.

She sped to a halt before the boys, and gasped with wide eyes when she saw the pool of blood in between them, mixing from their stumped arms.

"Sakura!" exclaimed Naruto, his tone mixed with surprise and relief. Sasuke was also looking at her with wide-eyed surprise, grunting breathlessly at the sight of her.

"Sasuke… Oh Gods, are you and Naruto alright?" Crono asked, kneeling beside Sasuke and noticing that he had a tear flowing from his left eye. As he got closer to Sasuke, Crono felt his heart accelerate as he surveyed his and Naruto's bleeding stumps where their dormant arms used to be.

Naruto looked at him in bewilderment. "How do you know our names?"

Crono smiled at him and shook his head. "It can wait. Sakura, think you can heal them?"

When looking at their bloody stumps, Sakura knelt before them. She wanted to cry, to hit them, to tell them what big idiots they were and that it served them right for getting their arms blown off for some insane duel...but she steeled herself and wordlessly sparked her healing chakra from both hands. One for Naruto and one for Sasuke.

"Thanks, Sakura!" said Naruto, smiling.

As Sakura healed both Naruto and Sasuke to hopefully reduce the bleeding, Crono saw Kakashi close his right eye and he indicated that he was happy that his old team is back together again.

"Sakura, I..." Sasuke began just before Sakura spoke up.

"Shut up!" said Sakura, still not looking at him. "I need to focus."

Crono could tell that Sasuke felt bad for the wrong things that he did to hurt Sakura because his onyx eyes gazed down.

"...I'm sorry," he whispered.

Sakura blinked, her healing chakra wavering slightly. "S-sorry?" she muttered. "For what?"

"For everything... up till now." Sasuke said.

Crono paused for a moment then gently picked the young Uchiha up off the ground, wrapping his only right arm around his neck as they headed back to Konoha after he and Naruto deactivated the Infinite Tsukuyomi with only one arm, literary surprising Crono, Marle, Sakura and Kakashi.

After the two one-armed men recovered and recuperated in Konoha and after witnessing the funeral of Neji Hyūga and those that lost their lives as well as Sakura's promotion to Jōnin, Sakura and Kakashi, who had become the Sixth Hokage following Tsunade's retirement, coherently met Crono, Marle, and Sasuke outside the gate to Konoha after Crono and Marle told them of their quest to save the world, with Marle holding Sasuke's prosthetic left arm that Tsunade had made out of Hashirama's cells in her arms. Upon seeing the tears in Sakura's eyes and hearing her plea, Marle felt her inhibitions leave her and all she wanted was for Sasuke and Sakura to be together.

"Sasuke, take me with you..." Sakura begged, tears falling from her eyes as Marle walked up to her.

"Please don't cry, Sakura." Marle said, putting her hands on Sakura's shoulders before Sasuke walked up to the crying pink haired kunoichi.

"I'll be back soon." Sasuke said, tapping Sakura's large forehead, from what both Crono and Marle could tell, before adding, "…and thank you."

Sakura felt her face turn bright red as Sasuke did this and Marle took this opportunity to lean into their conversation.

"Did he just tap her forehead?" Marle whispered.

Crono nodded. "I believe he did." He said.

"I wonder why."

"I think its because that Sasuke might be in love with Sakura and that he's returning the favor." Crono explained.

As Sakura and Kakashi watched the trio leave, Crono, Marle, and Sasuke soon noticed Naruto leaning against a tree and as Sasuke approached him, the blond ninja gave him, as he saw, his old forehead protector that he used to wear during his time as a Genin after Crono and Marle went to get the Epoch.

"Naruto… I now remember the words you once said to me. That when you're with me, you finally understand what it's like to have a brother… And when I think of it that way… That feeling… I finally get it now. I've been traveling around the world and I seem to recall these memories a lot. We were alone and starved of love. Kids that lived in a world full of hate. And from that point on, we went our separate ways… and fought. But time has passed and now I'm thinking… Could it be that… just like how the hope and and pain from my father, mother and my brother, Itachi flowed into me… I'd understand your pain and hopes too, Naruto? You never abandoned me, no matter what. And you never gave up on me, coming closer when I pulled away. It wouldn't have surprised me if you hated me, but you didn't… You kept insisting that we were friends. And even that, I nearly destroyed. You fought to stop me… to the point you lost an arm. All because you were my friend. You saved me. The us that quarreled over the smallest things… are now able to share the pain in each other's hearts. On my journey around the world, I noticed… That all these feelings of mine aren't just about us, I'm sure it's the same for everything else. But… there aren't a lot of people like you. And things won't go as planned, look at us. It's especially true when it comes to bigger things. I think it's the same as praying. And until I can do it, I'll stay strong. The beings that have been entrusted with hope… that's us. That's what makes us shinobi." Sasuke said as he heard the Epoch descend.

"Sasuke! Come on!" Marle called from the inside of the time machine.

"Okay, I'm coming!" Sasuke said, jumping into the Epoch shortly before hearing Sakura running up to them.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted as she came running up to the time machine.

"What is it, Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

"Take this with you." She said, handing Sasuke an Elixir before the Epoch lifted itself off the ground and switched eras.

**X~X~X**

**February 2300 A.D.**

Shortly after Robo, Sasuke and Lucca infiltrated the Geno Dome, they soon found themselves face to face with a pink variation of Robo named Atropos XR. After telling them about the true purpose that Robo was created, Sasuke grasped the handle of his sword that Melchior made as he and Lucca stood back and watched Robo beat his ex girlfriend into scrap metal. After deactivating her and watching a heartfelt reunion that made Sasuke want to stab himself in the heart, the three went inside the main computer room where they encountered the leader of the robots, Mother Brain.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan as he and Lucca disabled the two computers that were supporting Mother Brain, then Sasuke turned his attention towards the machine as the Uchiha electrified Robo and he tackled the computer, damaging it as Lucca shot the machine with her WonderShot.

"Prometheus… why?" Mother Brain asked before exploding.

"That takes care of her." Sasuke said, sheathing his sword.

"All done?" Crono asked after Robo, Sasuke, and Lucca came out of the Epoch at the End of Time.

Sasuke nodded.

"The people of the future won't be tortured by robots anymore." He said, glancing at Magus.

Marle looked up. "Really? That's good to hear."

Sasuke was about to head into Spekkio's room when Crono clasped a hand on his right forearm.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. When we venture inside the Black Omen, we'll call you." He said.

Sasuke nodded with understanding. "Thanks, Crono."

Marle carefully pulled Sasuke's left sleeve up to examine the stump where his left arm used to be.

"I can't believe that you and Naruto went all out on each other." She said, taking the prosthetic arm and attaching it.

"Yeah, I still can't believe that you two lost both your arms like that." Crono said as Sasuke sat down on the floor.

"Shut up, Crono." Sasuke said, looking away from the red haired swordsman and smiling.


	12. Chapter 12: Ozzie

"So, I guess that leaves Magus." Sasuke said as Magus came up.

Magus nodded.

"Okay. We are going to see Ozzie. I would like the robot and the frog to come."

Robo got up and jumped down in the Epoch.

Frog walked slowly towards the Epoch with very suspicious eye on Magus.

Magus watched him for a long time.

"Say... Do you trust me?" Magus finally said.

Frog didn't answer.

"Well?"

Frog shook his head.

"No..."

"That's bad..." Magus answered.

Crono walked forward to Frog.

"Hey... I know you're angry, but... But... He's on our side now. He's a goodguy."

Frog nodded.

"Perhaps. But I never shall, and never will, trust him."

"Good." Magus said and jumped down to the Epoch.

"Are you coming?" he shouted after a few seconds.

Slowly, Frog began to move.

He jumped down into the Epoch.

Magus took the front seat. He looked on the controls.

"Forward..."

"But this is not the middle ages!" Robo exclaimed.

"I know." Magus said. "This is 1000. I would like to see how things have changed, since the boy and you defeated me."

Frog looked down.

"I hath not been here before, but miss Lucca told be about 'tis place. They hath a statue of you in the center."

Magus nodded.

"I guess it's gone by now."

He took down the Epoch.

"Wait here. I'll go and see how things are."

Frog nodded.

Magus jumped out and walked into Medina village.

Magus couldn't resist to laugh when he saw the statue on Medina square.

It was Ozzie!

That fat, slimy... THING! How could he get famous like this.

From distance, he could hear the mystics worship the statue.

"Hut! Sir Ozzie!"

Magus laughed again.

This was so funny.

He walked into the biggest house in town, probably the mayors house.

A descendant of Ozzie perhaps?

Just as he thought.

A blue version of Ozzie was sitting on a chair inside the house.

There were also a lot of other mystics here, who served him.

"This work is brutal!" someone said.

"Who is that?" Magus asked an imp.

The imp looked up.

"You don't know? It's Ozzie VIII! He's using his ancestors fame to boss us around."

Magus nodded. He walked to Ozzie VIII.

"So... You have a famous ancestor?"

Ozzie VIII nodded.

"Indeed. They still worship his statue in the village square."

"I saw that..." Magus said.

"Who are you anyway?" Ozzie VIII asked.

Magus cleared his throat.

"Just a... traveler."

For once, he was tempted to manipulate him, but he decided not to.

He was just going to watch.

Magus walked out of the house.

While crossing the town, he could hear the mystics sing:

"Oh, great Ozzie! Ozzie the great! Ozzie fills our days and nights with joy!

Oh, great Ozzie! Ozzie the great! He shall rule all!"

Magus was really tempted to move closer, and so he did.

Then he heard an imp sing:

"Oh, the Black Omen, the Black Omen! We will smile on the Black Omen! Always!"

Magus looked up on the huge thing, that had once been the Ocean Palace.

"I think they get you wrong..." he said.

Then he hurried to the Epoch, were Frog and Robo waited.

600 AD

"There!" Magus said.

"Where is the village?" Robo asked.

Magus turned to him.

"There weren't any in this time. Crono told me they built it a while after my castle crumbled."

Robo nodded.

"I see..."

"Let's go down..." Magus said and landed the Epoch.

The door to Ozzie's fort was open so they walked in.

By some reason, Ozzie was just about to go out from the fort and then saw the team.

Ozzie raised his hands and looked quite happy.

"Come on in! This is the Great Ozzie's place."

Then he saw Magus.

"What the...! Whoa! You...you're the great Magus!"

Magus stepped forward.

"You're doing well, Ozzie!"

But Ozzie wasn't glad to see him.

That's because he saw that Frog was by his side, and the robot.

"The nerve! Deserting your fellow mystics to serve those humans!

You're a traitor! You're not our king! Why did you desert us?"

But instead of waiting for an answer, he hovered back into the fort.

Magus nodded against they others, and with Magus in the lead, they walked deeper into the fort.

Ozzie waited for them in the next room.

"You pesky, low down, good for nothings! Ooh! I'll have you begging for mercy! Flea!"

The room turned black, and Flea appeared in the middle.

"You sent for me? Well, if it isn't Sir Magus. Who'd you bribe to get in here?

Traitors like you deserve a beating!

Oh great Ozzie, stand back, and let ME take care of these cretins."

"I'm counting on you, Flea!" Ozzie said and backed into the next room.

"Get ready for a SLAPPING good time... get it?!" Flea said.

Magus shook his head.

"Not really."

Flea pointed at him, and flames erupted around him.

Magus got fast up and fired a dark bomb.

Robo used his new weapon and with incredible speed, he hit Flea with his hand.

Flea backed off.

"OH! Just you wait! We'll teach you a lesson!"

Flea backed into the next room, and Magus followed.

In the next room was Ozzie standing on a balcony and looked down.

"Howdy! You're nothing but common thieves!

Anyone who tries to steal my treasure is looking for a VERY cruel death!"

He pulled a chain and two goblins came up from a hole in the floor.

They landed on a transport band and went forward.

Frog picked up his Masamune and waited for the Goblins to take action.

But they didn't. The waited to long and fell down in the next hole.

"Oz... Ozzie's in a pickle! Outta here!" Ozzie said and teleported himself away.

"This way..." Magus said and continued into the fort.

Frog and Robo followed closely.

"You STILL haven't given up?" Ozzie said when they came into next big room.

"Well, how about a good trashing! Slash!"

The room turned black and Slash appeared.

"Yoooouuu rang?"

Ozzie pointed on Magus.

"Slash, don't let me down!"

Ozzie backed off.

Slash looked on Magus.

"At first I really didn't want to slice and dice ya, but now it sounds kind of fun! Ready?"

"On your mark!" Frog said and raised the Masamune.

Slash dived forward to slash Frog, but he was too small and too fast.

He jumped over Slash and gave him a surprise from behind.

"Ouch!" Slash exclaimed and backed of.

Magus followed him, with Frog and Robo not far behind.

In the next room was all of them were waiting.

"Heh heh. Not so fast, friends. I'm not going to make it that easy for you." Ozzie said.

Magus pointed on Slash.

"Frog? Take him. Robo? Flea is yours. And you Ozzie... Are mine."

Magus rushed forward with his scythe ready.

Ozzie created a barrier of magic to stop the attack.

Magus spun around and hit the barrier hard as he could.

But it took the strike.

Ozzie laughed, but became silent when Magus followed the attack with a dark bomb.

Ozzie flied backward into the wall.

Slash jumped up and dove down with his sword ready to slice anyone.

Frog evaded and struck back.

Slash got his sword up in the last minute.

Frog leaped back and summoned his water magic.

A floodwave stroke down on Slash and threw him down.

Robo rushed forward to tackle Flea, but she was too fast.

With a simple teleportation, Flea got behind Robo and gave him a flame.

Robo turned around and attacked again.

Flea hovered up, and when she was out of Robo's reach, she fired a new fire ball.

Magus pulled up Ozzie. He hit Magus, who were surprised by the fast action.

Magus got up and made a fire explosion in front of Ozzie.

But Ozzie was fast enough to pull up a magic barrier, who blocked most of the damage.

"Heh Heh!" Ozzie laughed.

Magus leaped back and summoned all of his magic.

"Dark Matter!"

Nothing happened.

"Sorry boss..." Ozzie said. "This is MY castle... Not yours!"

Slash ran to the other side of the room and then ran back in Frog's direction.

Frog jumped up and kicked the wall to get better speed.

Their blades met in the middle of the air, and with a big lightning.

Slash was the one who landed first, while Frog took more time.

Slash turned around and fired a grey beam out of his sword.

Frog fell down to the ground, bleeding.

Robo turned fast around to evade Flea's fire ball.

Flea started to circle around Robo with incredible speed.

Robo ended it with a simple punch.

Flea flied across the room.

"Ouch... That hurts!"

She teleported herself behind Robo and hit him with her staff.

Magus kicked Ozzie backward, just to evade one of Ozzie's lightnings.

Magus rolled to the left and awaited Ozzie to follow.

But he didn't.

Magus got up and looked around.

Ozzie was nowhere to be seen.

"Come out!" Magus said.

A laugh could be heard.

Ozzie came up behind Magus and was just going to stab him with a knife, when Magus disappeared in front of his eyes. "What the..."

"You're not the only one who can teleport." Magus voice said. "I DID learn a few nice things in Zeal."

With those words, he appeared and with a dark bomb, threw Ozzie backwards.

Ozzie counterattacked with a fireball and knocked Magus down.

Ozzie walked toward him.

He didn't move.

Ozzie laughed over his victory.

Then he saw that Magus was holding his scythe very hard.

In a fast movement, Magus got up and slashed Ozzie with it.

A bleeding Ozzie fled deeper into the fortress.

Frog concentrated and put his heal spell on himself.

It wasn't as powerful as Marle's, but it was something.

Slash jumped up to attack once again.

Frog rolled away when Slash dived down.

A fast handmove, and Frog gave Slash a bleeding wound.

"Ahhh..."

Slash fired a new gray beam, but Frog jumped over it.

"This one..." Frog said. "Is from you Cyrus."

Frog jumped up and dived down with his Masamune pointing down.

"And this... Is from Crono."

He waved his sword and cut Slash once again.

"From Lucca."

Whooos...

"From Marle."

Whooosh...

"From Sasuke..."

Whoosh...

"And from Robo, Ayla..."

Whoos...

"And this sir Slush..."

"Slash!" a bleeding Slash corrected.

"Is from me!"

The Masamune glowed and Frog leaped forward and made a final blow on the mystic.

Slash turned into dust.

Robo turned around and grabbed Flea.

"Let me go, you...!"

Robo threw her into a wall.

Flea made a new fire ball and launched it on Robo.

Robo stepped to the left and evaded.

Five new fire balls came up.

Flea launched them on an evading Robo.

Flea created five more balls and launched them on Robo.

Robo rushed forward and got closer.

Flea created a new fire ball.

"Die!"

Robo let his hull take this one.

Then he hit her with his arm.

Flea got up and prepared to launch even more fire balls.

"Got you now!"

Robo watched her.

Nothing happened.

"What...?"

"Drained of magic power." Robo explained.

"What...! You...!"

Flea jumped forward and tried to hit him with her staff.

Robo let his hull take it and then hit her with extreme power.

Flea turned into dust.

Robo looked up.

Slash, Flea and Ozzie was gone.

"Looks like you got yours." Robo said.

Magus shook his head.

"No... Ozzie is still alive."

They ran deeper into the fort.

Up a lot of stairs and finally arrived on the highest floor.

There was Ozzie sitting on his throne.

"Magus! You lied to me when you said you wanted to create a world of evil! You used me!"

Magus smiled.

"Oh, how dreadful. Say, can you hear that? It's the sound of the Reaper..."

Ozzie wasn't in the mood.

"I can't lose! What would become of my Mystics? I MUST win!"

He raised his hands and put up a blue protection barrier in front of him.

Robo was just going to attack when Frog stopped him.

"No! Aim for those switches instead!"

Robo nodded and rushed forward and pressed one of the switches.

They waited for something to happen.

Ozzie laughed.

"Heh heh... Gotcha! I learned from last time."

"What does he mean?" Robo asked.

"He meant..." Magus said.

"That we are standing on a trap door!" Frog exclaimed.

But it was too late.

The trapdoor opened and they fell down.

In the fall, Magus grabbed Frog and started to hover in the middle of the air.

"Thank you, Magus." Frog said. "I never thought I could say that."

Magus didn't answer.

They looked down on Robo.

He opened his hull and some rocket pack came out.

He flew up.

"You seem to be okay."

Magus nodded.

Then he flew up through the trap door, and Robo followed.

"What the..." Ozzie said as he saw them coming up from the trap door.

"NEVER! You can NEVER beat me!"

Then, a cat came in.

The cat ran all the way to Ozzie, and jumped up on his chair.

The cat looked on another button.

"N...no! Not THAT switch!" The cat jumped up on it.

In the same moment, a trap door opened under Ozzie, and he fell down.

Robo looked down.

"What was he trying to accomplish?"

**X~X~X**

Later, 1000 AD, Medina village...

Magus entered the mayor's house once again.

There he was...

Ozzie VIII.

But this time in the kitchen.

Magus sneaked up on him.

He knocked him on his back.

"Yes sir!" Ozzie VIII said. "I take pride in cleaning up! I'm not slacking off!"

Magus found it quite funny to hear.

He walked over to the living room.

A man was sitting there and talked to an imp who sat in the finest sofa in the house.

"Hello." Magus said to the man. "Who might you be?"

"The name's Bandeau. Here to build the ferry between Medina and Truce."

Magus nodded.

"And one are the elder, right?"

The imp nodded.

"Yes, I'm the leader of Medina. Make yourself at home!"

Magus nodded.

"Just want to check out."

He walked out to the square.

The statue was gone, and the square looked empty without it.

But it surely wasn't.

Imps of different sorts were running around.

"Great weather!" one said.

Magus smiled.

Through all years he had to be... evil. This was his way to set things right.

Magus returned to the Epoch, where Robo and Frog were waiting.

Just before he entered it, he looked up on the Dark Omen.

"See you soon, mother..."


	13. Chapter 13: The Black Omen

"So... You got 'em?" Magus nodded.

"Good." Crono said and walked back to his corner.

"With him removed," Magus said. "The relationship between Guardia and Medina have increased."

Marle looked up. "Really? That's good to hear."

Frog walked in and sat down. Robo followed him,but then walked to Lucca.

"Lucca, there is a malfunction on my right arm. Can you look over it?"

"Sure." Lucca said and leaned back for her bag with tools.

"Time to get that thing out of the air, then." Crono said. Magus nodded.

"Gaspar..." Crono said. "How much has that thing changed peoples lives?"

Gaspar scratched his hat. "Far too much. The worst is that people think good of it. They even believe that you can tell the weather on the next day, by looking at it."

"..." Magus looked out.

"If you're going to take it down, Crono... I volunteer to follow."

Crono nodded. "I know you are. We all do, right?"

All of them nodded. "See..."

"Does that mean that only three can take it down?" Marle asked.

Sasuke cleared his throat at her question, leaning against the door to Spekkio's room.

"That's what I'm guessing." Sasuke said, looking at Crono as he crossed his arms.

Crono shook his head.

"No. I think there's enough magic to create a gate in there. We'll change members after a while."

Marle nodded and looked down. "Call me in when you're facing Zeal. I really would like a word with her!"

Crono smiled.

"Okay..." Frog looked on the others. "Who will go first?"

Crono looked up. "I will. And Magus. Who else? Frog?"

Frog nodded. "At your service!"

"Let's go take that thing down!" Crono exclaimed. "Which period?"

"Not a hard question." Magus said. "12000 BC of course."

Crono nodded. "Yes, that would be best. Let's go!"

Crono, Frog and Magus jumped down to the Epoch and headed for 12000 BC.

Zeal was waiting for them inside.

"Fools! Haven't you learned your lesson?! We are immortal! We shall live forever with Lavos,who devours this planet even as he sleeps. Draining this planet's power, Lavos will rule the world in a mere 14000 years. The Black Omen is a path which leads to Lavos. It is a shrine which provides us with limitless power. As long as the mighty one reigns,your dreams are hopeless!"

She waved with her hand, and a black gate opened. Out from it came a Mutant of some sort.

"You should sacrifice yourself to the mighty Lavos! HAAhahahahaha!" Zeal teleported herself away. Frog drew the Masamune.

"'Tis a nasty one." He said. "Very smart."

Crono felt himself hit by a new déja vú. He had seen all this. That night outside Medina. He had wondered who the black caped man was,and who the shiny lady was. Now he knew. But why had he been seeing the future? The mutant roared and woke up Crono from his thoughts.

By just instinct, Crono said: "Let's confuse him a bit."

Crono leaped forward and circled around the mutant in incredible speed, while he was attacking with his sword. The mutant turned into a slimy mess.

Magus pulled down his scythe. "So much for the primary defense..."

Crono looked around on the surrounding area. They were standing on a platform,high up in the Omen. The entire place was a big metal junk.

Crono wondered if Lavos' energy was running all this. Magus took the lead and headed deeper into the Omen.

With Frog and Crono behind, Magus walked into the main structure,away from the platforms.

"You know this place?" Crono asked. Magus shook his head, but didn't say anything.

"This is an elevator, right?"

Magus nodded.

The construction of the new room they came into was similar to the elevator in the Ocean Palace. Crono pushed the button, and the elevator moved down.

"How big is the Omen?" Crono asked.

Magus thought for a moment.

"Bigger than it looked from the outside. We're on our way to the center of it, I think. Hard to tell. The way have changed since the Ocean Palace. I don't know why."

The elevator stopped after about 100 meters, and Crono, Magus and Frog stepped off.

Magus snuck into the next corridor, with Crono and Frog just behind.

The rooms were richly marked with statues and gold walls.

Crono remembered a soldier in Zeal say:

"This is an example of who advanced Zeal culture is!"

He was then indicating on the Blackbird, but Crono felt this was a greater example.

How could they have built something like this?

Magus suddenly signed them to stop.

Two creatures came into the corridor.

They were not human, like the guards in the Ocean Palace.

Now they were strange monsters.

They actually reminded Crono about the mutants he, Lucca and Marle interfaced in Lab 16, about a week ago. The Mutants didn't walk forward; they hovered.

Magus sat totally quiet and waited until the mutants had turned into an other corridor.

Then, he rose up and walked deeper in.

Suddenly, a scream echoed in the corridor.

Magus turned around and searched for what it was.

A small creature with wings flied towards them.

Magus summoned his magic and let a dark mist go off.

The creature fell down dead, but the mutants came in instead.

Crono drew his rainbow and gave the first mutant a deep wound.

The mutant fired about ten blue balls on Crono as counterattack.

Crono was forced down.

Frog jumped up and cut the monster with his sword.

Magus summoned more magic and fired a line of fire around himself.

The fired made an explosion, which killed the first one and damaged the other.

Frog used his last power to create a water wave who took care of the other.

Crono rose up, but stepped down again.

"Let's switch teams." Magus said.

Frog nodded and created a gate.

Crono managed to get into it.

Frog followed.

Sasuke, Lucca and Marle took their places.

"Where are we?" Marle asked.

"Cool!" exclaimed Lucca as she saw the architecture.

"Crono said that we're deep into the Black Omen." Sasuke explained, walking further into the Black Omen.

After entering a large room having beaten another mutant along the way, Sasuke walked into the room, where he knew something wasn't right.

"Marle! Lucca! To the sides! Quick!" Sasuke demanded, taking out his katana from its scabbard.

Marle and Lucca backed off, while beams from the ceiling gathered. Where the beams crossed, grew a black circle, and out from it came...

"Lavos!" Marle exclaimed.

"No... A spawn..." Lucca corrected.

"A much larger one compared to the ones we encountered up on Death Peak, that's for sure. And YOU'RE going down with the Omen!" Sasuke threatened, pointing his katana at the spawn.

The spawn roared.

Sasuke raced up and attempted to slash the head with his sword until the Spawn opened it's mouth, and created a cylinder around him, forcing the young Uchiha on his knees.

Needles were launched from the spawn's body.

Before, it had tried to hit all of them, but this one aimed for one: Lucca.

The needles fell down and appeared to be piercing her.

"Lucca!" Marle exclaimed and shot an arrow against the beak.

The arrow didn't break through the hard skin. The spawn roared and big rocks came out of nowhere and crushed them.

Marle ran to check Lucca, but a huge lightning bolt came from the Spawns beak and stopped her.

Marle was thrown into a corner, but thanks to her prism dress, she survived.

Sasuke arose but he was also caught in the rocks.

All of them were down.

The spawn roared, and moved slowly against Sasuke to make sure he was dead.

Marle opened her eyes.

The first thing she felt was the pain of the lightning, which wasn't gone yet.

She looked up and saw that the spawn headed for Sasuke.

She took her crossbow and fired a new arrow on the Spawn, this time on the shell.

The arrow disappeared into the net of needles.

She wondered if the Spawn felt it.

Sasuke opened his eye and found himself looking straight into the beak of a spawn.

He rolled to the left, but didn't get very far because his feet were stuck in the door.

They fought desperately to get away.

The Spawn got closer every second. And so did the needles...

Finally, the door opened and Sasuke rolled away.

Sasuke panted harshly as he pressed his palm to the side of his upper body, wondering if one of his ribs was broken. He got up on his knees as his left eye began bleeding and he reopened it to reveal, for what Marle saw as a red star with a black background, his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Amaterasu!"

Undying black flames engulfed and incinerated the spawn until it roared in pain.

A new pair of needles were launched, hitting Sasuke in his chest.

Marle drew the attention of the Spawn.

It turned slowly around while a shockwave of ice came out of Marle's body.

Big ice chunks fell down from the ceiling, but didn't really damage the shell, nor the beak.

A shockwave came out of the beak, knocking Marle unconscious.

Sasuke was lying in a pool of blood.

Marle was also surrounded by blood.

And Lucca was... Dead perhaps?

Not quite...

A shot from Lucca's Wondershot came and made a scratch in the shell. The Lavos spawn roared.

"You're finished!" A bloody Lucca said.

She held out her arms. "If I gather all magic particles in one place and make them all go off..."

She made small movements with her hands, and particles from everywhere gathered in on center point. Lucca pulled down her arms. The particles exploded with many small explosions. They didn't even harm the spawn. The spawn roared in victory.

But then, Lucca spun around. The real effect came. A huge shockwave of fire came out from the center point. The heat increased extremely around the spawn.

Once Lucca's new spell was finished, the spawn looked like a burned spawn...

Getting to his feet, Sasuke took an opportunity to pull out the Elixir that Sakura gave him, and drank it.

After switching Marle and Lucca for Magus and Robo, the trio walked away to the door to Zeal's chamber. Inside was holographic images of the team.

The showcases stood two-by-two.

The first pair was a holo-image of Crono and Marle.

Behind them was Lucca and Robo.

And behind them was Ayla and Frog.

Magus wasn't included.

Apparently, neither was Sasuke.

"Nice photoalbum." Magus said.

"Whatever." Sasuke said.

They walked to the far end of the room.

With a flash, Zeal showed herself.

"Behold, my pretties!" she said. "Destiny, in its most brutal form. All the dreams that might have been. All the happiness, and sorrow, you might have experienced! Gone forever! For you there will be no tomorrow! The Dark Omen transcends time and space, waiting for Lavos to awaken! Destiny has led you here. And here you shall rest forever, unless you can defeat me, and smash the Omen!"

She waved them to come closer, while Sasuke drew out his katana, and Robo switched to battle mode.

"Come, dear friends. Perhaps I can persuade Lavos to share his dreams with you! Did I say dreams? I meant his eternal nightmare!"

In a matter of milliseconds, before anyone could do anything, a rainbow colored circle came out of Zeal, and drained Magus, Sasuke and Robo of their power.

Magus looked up on the laughing Zeal. "I... Shall... Not... Be... Beaten..."

Zeal lifted her hand and suddenly Magus body levitated from the ground. Zeal lifted her other hand, and lifted up Sasuke.

She tossed them around.

"Feel the true power of Lavos!"

Magus was thrown into a wall. "Ooouughhh..."

Sasuke picked up an object from his pouch.

"What is it?" Magus asked.

"Marle's MegaElixir. It will hopefully restore us." He took the bottle and threw it on the floor. Smoke came out from it and surrounded Sasuke, Magus and Robo.

They could feel how they regained their powers.

Sasuke then picked up his sword and stabbed Zeal in one swift thrust all the way to the hilt.

"Argh!" Zeal yelled. "My powers don't seem to work here! Wait! I'll simply toss you into the Mammon Machine! You'll be one with the Omen, Lavos... and me!"

The room turned black, and suddenly Magus found himself facing the power machine.

"I'll shut you off!" Magus said. "DarkMatter!"

The triangle circled around,and damaged the machine heavily. In that moment, Sasuke and Robo came into the... place?

Sasuke leaped up and thrusted the sword into the machine. Big sparks came out of it, and they were teleported away. Soon, they found themselves on top of the Omen. Sparks and Flashes came out everywhere. The Omen was slowly going down...

Zeal came up in front of them. "You cretins... I plan to live with Lavos, and control the universe forever. You will not get in my way!"

Magus stepped forward. "Idiots... Nothing can live forever. Zeal... A pitiful woman,duped by Lavos. I, myself, will bring an end to all of this!"

Zeal looked down on him. "Prophet! You are doomed. I haven't forgotten what you did at the Ocean Palace. You will now forfeit your life." Zeal disappeared with a white glow, and reappeared as a big head and two hands.

"I doubt it." Magus said and attacked.

Sasuke would never forget the hell battle between Magus and Zeal. How Zeal totally crushed him, but in the next moment he got up and counterattacked even worse. Nor would he forget the scream Zeal made when Magus finally thrusted his scythe into the big head, and destroyed it.

Zeal appeared in front of them. "How dare you insects come after ME! Oh almighty Lavos, lend me your power! Mwa, ha, ha... At last, Lavos awakens! Compared with him,you are like germs. But, I... I shall obtain immortality!"

With a scream, she started to scatter.

"Lavos!? You... can't... leave... me..."

Once she was all gone, Magus looked down on the roof. "Rest in peace... Mother."

Sasuke sheathed his snake sword. "She called for Lavos?"

Magus nodded. "...And he didn't come. Let's go!" Magus ran to the edge and jumped.

Then, Magus came up with the Epoch and allowed Sasuke and Robo to escape before the Omen totally scattered in million pieces and was spread out over the land, 12000 BC.


	14. Chapter 14: Lavos

"I..." Crono said. "Would like to say a few words."

Everyone at the End of Time looked up. Crono walked to the stair to the gate room to get a better position.

"I'm not very much for speeches, but I'll try... More than a week ago, something happened to me. Something I will never forget. I walked into Marle by an accident. It was the first day of the Millennial Fair. I had looked forward to it. I was planing to have so much fun. But thing turned out in an other way. Instead of competing with my friends, I saved the princess of Guardia together with Lucca and Frog. And after running away from our world, we got the knowledge of a new word. Lavos. I saw with my own eyes, how Lavos destroyed our world. I don't know what it was who made Marle, Lucca or even... myself... To think we could do something about it. Do something to change the world. We met Robo later on. He asked Lucca once if we were trying to save the world. She answered: I don't know how far we'll get, but that's the plan. We have gotten far now. And we have gathered a team the world have never seen before. A spiky-haired boy, a crazy inventor, a wild princess, a noble frog, a brave cavewoman, a wise robot, a powerful Sharingan user and a dark mage. What a crew, isn't it? We have mastered the time. And changed it. Many times. Right now, I have knowledge of a numerous of powerful spells and techniques. Some of you can handle even more powerful ones. From the beginning, I never though we could do something about Lavos. I mean, we barely lost against a robot in the factory. How could we ever beat Lavos? But we have gained both wisdom and power. We have gained experience of fighting. By fighting against what I thought was destiny. But it wasn't the destiny. TIME is destiny. And we are time. So, now... My dear friends... Ayla, Magus, Frog, Sasuke, Robo... and especially you, Marle and Lucca. Let's go and create destiny. Let's go save the world."

Crono stepped down as the others cheered. Marle and Lucca hugged him. The speech wasn't such bad after all...

"Which?" Magus said.

Crono looked down, and didn't know how to put it. "I..."

"I understand. Go. Take the girls with you... BUT, promise me one thing. Give Lavos one from me!"

Crono smiled. "I will."

Ayla gave Crono a hit on his back. "Crono fight Lavos! Crono fight for the world! Ayla here when needed!"

Crono nodded. "Okay."

Frog croaked. "What a fine swordsman you've become! If Cyrus were here, he would thought the same!"

Crono nodded. "Thanks Fro... eh... Thanks Glenn!"

Frog croaked again.

Robo stepped forward. "I am counting on you. Lucca? Take care of them."

Lucca nodded. "No problem!"

Gaspar scratched his hat. "I don't know what to say..."

"By the way..." Marle interrupted him. "Melchior has a message for you."

Gaspar looked on her. "Really?"

"Yes... He said: The fate is turning into our direction."

Gaspar nodded. "I know."

Sasuke clasped a hand on Crono's forearm.

"Crono… be careful." Sasuke said.

"Thank you for everything, Sasuke." Crono said, taking note of what Sasuke said to Sakura before he went to Orochimaru.

Sasuke smirked and nodded at the red haired swordsman.

Crono stepped towards the Epoch. Lucca and Marle followed.

"Hey!" Gaspar called.

Crono turned around.

"You fight not just for yourselves, but for all living things... This is a battle between Lavos and the entire world!"

Marle, Crono and Lucca nodded. "We'll give him one from the entire world."

And so, they jumped down into the Epoch, and Crono sat the time meter on 1999 - Apocalypse.

**X~X~X**

When they appeared in 1999, Lavos immediately came up from the inner earth.

"How do we fight him?" Crono asked.

"Let's just burst through him with the Epoch!" Marle suggested.

"We might wreck the Epoch! But..." Lucca said. "We really don't have a choice..."

"Let's put our trust in the Epoch!" Crono said and started to switch on some buttons. The Epoch started to move faster.

"Everyone, hold on!" Marle exclaimed.

"We believe in you, Epoch!" Lucca whispered.

Epoch entered warp speed, and the environment changed into lava looking. Epoch was shaking like never before, and kept increasing speed. With a white flash, everything turned black.

They had rammed Lavos.

**X~X~X**

Heartbeat? What was this? Were they… dead? What happened?

Crono was the first to open his eyes. He slowly rose. He realized that they were INSIDE the huge shell.

Marle rose up. "Hmmm..."

"Everyone okay?..." Lucca asked.

Marle nodded. "Looks so... Thanks to Epoch..."

Lucca nodded. "Yeah... I'm sorry... Epoch..."

Crono looked around. "This doesn't look organic... What if... The beak isn't the real... eh, thing?"

Lucca nodded. Then, Crono pointed on a way leading deeper into the shell. "Let's go say hello to the inhabitants."

Lucca almost jumped back. "What!? In there!" The corridor looked very unpleasant and dark.

Crono took a step forward. "Don't fear the reaper."

Lucca looked at Marle. "Great man, huh? Foolish I would say."

Marle nodded. "We all are." She followed Crono into the darkness.

"Right." Lucca said and followed them.

They walked deeper in and came into a huge space. Inside was a creature with two arms and with pipes and tubes inserted into it's body.

"This... Is... Lavos!" Marle said.

"This's the REAL thing!?"

"Let's hope so..." Crono said and drew his sword.

Lavos started with removing parts of his armor and show his hidden weapon. Two beams came out from his body,and explosions came where ever the beam hit. Marle fired a ice shockwave to stop the attack. Lavos fired new beams from his head, hitting Marle.

"You okay?" Crono asked.

"Yeah... The prism dress took most of the damage... But he's strong!"

Lucca aimed for one of the cables and shot it off. Some green slime came out of it. Crono slashed Lavos left hand with the Rainbow. It fell off.

"Piece of cake!"

Lavos roared and fired even more beams. Crono jumped up to evade one, while Marle ran almost around him. Loaded with an explosive arrow, Marle shot off another cable. Even more green slime came out. Drained of his power supply, Lavos let a shockwave come out of him, and tossed Lucca, Crono and Marle back.

Crono got up again. His adrenaline was at the top, and he forgot all about the damage.

Crono leaped forward and cut off the other arm. A disabled Lavos roared.

"Too easy..." Lucca said.

"Perhaps he's not so powerful on the inside..." Marle suggest.

"Perhap... Watch out!" Marle got just enough time to crunch for a new beam. She counterattacked by placing an arrow right between Lavos eyes. Then she realized it was an explosive.

_**BOOOM!**_

The room was filled with a white light, and they had to protect their eyes from it. When all was gone, a humanoid-looking creature was standing in front of them.

"Lavos?!" Crono said. "How many shapes do you have?"

Lucca looked at it. "Now I understand... It lives on a planet, stealing away the most vital resources... It combined the DNA it found here with its own,and gave birth to those creatures up on Death Peak. Eventually the young must migrate to other planets... to repeat the cycle..."

Marle placed her hand on her crossbow. "Are you saying IT'S the reason we're all here?"

Crono drew his sword. "We were created only to be harvested...?"

Lucca aimed her gun. "Grown like farm animals, waiting to be slaughtered... All of our history... our art and science... All to meet the needs of that... beast..."

Marle pulled up her crossbow. "This is Crono's and ours... Leene's and Doan's... everyone's...!"

She walked to Lavos's right. "...and I mean, EVERYONE's world!"

Lucca breathed deeply. "Impossible... You CAN't expect to toy with an entire world and get away with it!"

"Sorry, Lavos..." Crono said. "You're time is up!"

Lavos roared and raised his arms. The entire environment changed. They felt like they were traveling through a time gate, but somehow not... Lavos stood in front of them, and he didn't look very happy.

"Confuse!" Crono shouted and jumped forward. He spun around Lavos and sliced him.

After four hits, Crono jumped back. Lavos raised his right arm and casted a kind of cure spell to heal some of the wounds. Meanwhile,they could see a weak image in the background. It was Leene square. Crono didn't understood what it meant.

Lucca gathered her power. "From the world! Antipode!"

Marle and Lucca gathered their magic.

With Lucca's new knowledge of the flare, the attack became more powerful than ever. Ice crystals circled around Marle, while Lucca was surrounded by fire. They gathered their elements, and a white light blinded their eyes. In the next moment,everything turned red, and was filled with Yellow explosions. Lavos stepped backward, but came back again. The weak background image changed.

This time, they could see a room in Magus's castle, in which they had defeated him.

Crono leaped forward and slashed Lavos in his, what Crono thought it was, chest. Lavos raised his hand. Many gray lines appeared, and they formed a moon. The moon turned red and was twisted and bended. Crono felt the same. Twisted and bend. His muscles didn't seem to carry him anymore. He simply fell down to the ground. Lucca had too, but Marle's prism dress had protected her from the spell.

"Powerful is the power of Lavos..." Crono said.

Marle looked on him. "Crono stop it! You're becoming like Zeal."

Crono smiled. "But the people of earth are stronger..."

Crono put all his power down and rose up. He lifted his sword, but fell down again. Marle put a cure spell, but it didn't seem to have any effect. So, she turned to Lavos and fired her most powerful ice spell.

But Lavos's eyes could tell her that he was just laughing against their pathetic attacks. Lavos jumped forward and simply hit Marle with his hand. The hit was powerful enough to knock her out. Lavos roared over his victory.

In that moment, Lucca got up. "Not yet... I'm left..."

Lavos raised his hand, and a colorful sphere surrounded her. In the next second, the sphere was gone and Lucca was out.

Crono used all his power to pick up his bottle with tonic from his bag. He drank it and gained the power to stand up. Crono jumped up and dived down with his sword, and drilled it deep into Lavos's body. Lavos screamed and threw him off.

Marle got up on her knees. She could see how a mad Lavos raised his arms and made a new terrible spell. A stone took form, and Lavos dropped it on Crono. He really squeezed him, like Crono was a bug. Once the rock was gone, a dead Crono lied there. Lucca managed to pull the trigger on her gun. The shot missed with a centimeter.

Lavos fired a huge lightning bolt on Lucca. She couldn't have survived it.

Marle decided to fight to the end. Like Crono and Lucca. This was the fight of fate. Marle jumped forward and smashed her crossbow into Lavos. The creature smashed her away.

"It is... pointless... No one can hope to kill it..."

The background changed to a fallen city. Laboratory 16. Marle saw it and thought of all people...

"NO!"

She dropped her crossbow and put her hands together. "All who fear the night and stand against the darkness... Please give us strength! Give us the might to defeat Lavos..."

An enormous magic power circled around Marle. Light flew everywhere. Crono -and Lucca's dead bodies hovered up from the ground, in front of the eyes of a confused Lavos. Energy flowed from Marle into Crono and Lucca. Crono's medallion started to shine and particles flied out from it,to surround Crono and Lucca. They were received. Crono opened his eye and regained all strength. And so did Lucca. In a matter of seconds, Crono attacked Lavos once with his sword. Then he turned his sword around and cut him again. Just when Crono leaped backwards, a flare blew off. Lavos gathered his power and created a new red star.

Crono protected himself with his hand. "We... won't... be defeated..."

Lucca put her head under her father's armor. "We... will... end... this..."

Marle had put her prism dress to trust. "Give... up... Lavos..."

Lavos was exhausted after the powerful spell, and Crono ran around him. They now stood in a triangle around him.

"Let's gather our three elements..." Crono said.

"...and create a spell with a power as few..." Marle continued.

"...to defeat the darkness!" Lucca finished.

"DELTA FORCE!" They all screamed.

Enormous power gathered around them.

Magic energy created walls between all of them, forming a triangle. Crono, Marle and Lucca hovered up in the air.

With a flash, the walls turned red like fire. With a second flash, they became blue like ice. With a third flash, they became white like lightnings. The spell ended with a final flash. Crono, Marle and Lucca had to protect their eyes from the strong light.

When they opened them again, Lavos scattered into small, small pieces, which slowly disappeared. The background image changed into a green meadow.

Suddenly, the gate waves increased in speed, and Crono, Marle and Lucca started to spin around. They tried to steer against each other, and somehow succeeded to grab each other's hand.

If they died now, it wouldn't matter. They had beaten Lavos. They had succeeded. They had walked a long way, crossed many eras and fought many battles. But now, it was over... All of it. They had changed fate like they changed time. It was over.

They had saved the future.

_It was finally over..._


	15. Chapter 15: Faraway Times

"Crono..."

"Crono!"

"Crono!"

Crono, lying in his bed, could see how a soldier walked toward the bed.

"It's time to rise and shine! We have a little surprise for you."

He walked to the window and put the curtains away, to let the sun in.

He turned around.

"Your stay of execution has been canceled. We must now carry out your sentence."

Crono shook his head. Was this possible?

Later at the Guardia Castle.

Crono entered the throne room and found the king sitting on the throne, and the chancellor on his right side.

Crono fell down on his knees and starred at the stone floor.

The king sighed.

"We've been looking for you, Crono. Where did you take my daughter?"

Crono looked up, didn't know what to say.

Then, Marle rushed into the room. "Daddy, don't!"

She stayed by Crono's side.

"Crono hasn't done a thing!"

She looked at him. They both were really shocked.

The king turned to the Chancellor.

"She says Crono has been a perfect gentleman, but... What do you think, Chancellor?"

The Chancellor looked at them both.

"Well..." he started. "Crono's deeds have had an enormous impact on the kingdom!"

Marle looked at him with a half angry, half sad look.

"Chancellor, how could you?!"

She walked to her father.

"Please! Just listen to me! We had to..." she knew it sounded stupid, but somehow they must know. But she didn't have to think of and answer, because the king continued her sentence.

"...Save the future, right?"

She looked at him, then Crono, then the Chancellor... and then at the king.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Doan came walking down the right stair.

"You saved the future, and gave us hope."

Behind him was Kakashi.

"You saved Sasuke Uchiha and attached his arm."

From the left stair, the king from the middle age came.

"You fought Magus's troops, and brought peace to the kingdom in the year 600."

Behind him came Kino.

"Crono beat reptites!"

Marle didn't believe her eyes.

She looked at them shocked.

"Wh, what's going on here?"

Then, Lucca showed herself.

She had hid behind the throne.

"Lucca!" Marle exclaimed.

Lucca held up the gate key.

"You brought them here, didn't you?"

Lucca nodded.

The king turned to Marle.

"Our kinsmen told me about your incredible mission."

Marle looked at him surprised.

"Kinsmen?! You mean these're my ancestors... and descendants?"

The king nodded and turned to Crono.

"Here I was fussing about my kingdom, and my daughter, and you were saving past, present, and future!"

The king walked to Crono.

Crono rose up.

"Now, for a true victory parade! Tonight we celebrate... you!"

Crono smiled. He just couldn't stop.

The king turned to Marle.

"Now Nad... Marle, go out and enjoy the last night of the fair!"

"Yes!" Marle exclaimed.

X~X~X

Many hours later at Leene square.

There were people everywhere.

They all wanted to see the hero of time.

Some guards had put up a fence, so the heroes could walk around freely.

There were small light everywhere, lighten up the star filled sky.

"Here they come!" Someone shouted.

First entering the square, was the mayor of Medina village.

The blue imp walked in a few meters, and then waved to two other persons.

"It's them!"

Crono and Marle came into the area.

"It's a moonlight parade!"

The mayor took the lead, and Crono and Marle followed.

Also following was Crono's cat and a few dancers.

They walked slowly around in the southern part of Leene square, waving to everyone.

When Crono got the chance, he whispered to Marle:

"Do you know where Lucca is?"

"She said she didn't want to be in the parade." Marle whispered back.

Crono nodded.

They walked around the square once and then they broke from the parade.

"I just got to say a few words to a few people."

"Then I'm going with you." Marle replied and followed Crono.

Crono made his way to some chairs, where Fritz and Elaine were sitting.

Fritz turned to Elaine.

"Don't you think the princess is gorgeous?"

Elaine nodded while Marle giggled.

Fritz turn to Crono.

"...And don't get me wrong! Of course you are too."

Crono smiled.

"Thanks Fritz."

Then they walked away to another corner where Crono's mom stood.

She smiled.

"They say YOU saved us all dear. That's nice, but I wished you had spent more time home.

It's a real problem when the one who is in charge of the cat is gone."

Crono smiled. "Don't worry!"

Crono and Marle walked away to Melchior.

He looked at them.

"I think things will calm down now. That means it won't be much business in weapons anymore.

I guess I'll have to find something else to do."

Crono nodded.

"Don't worry. You'll find something."

Melchior nodded.

"Oh, I will... Now, your friends are waiting. I can't keep you here all night."

Crono nodded.

"Thanks for everything, Melchior. See ya."

They made their way the northern part, where Lucca waited.

"Finished?"

Marle nodded.

They all when up to the far north part, where Lucca's telepod stood.

Between the pods were a gate open.

The rest of the 'team' was also there.

Lucca looked at each one of them.

"Well everyone, this is it."

Frog croaked.

"Each to thine time."

Robo agreed.

"The Gate has grown weak..."

"We've got to say our good-byes before the Gate closes." Lucca added.

Marle ran into the center of the small crowd.

She looked at them all.

"You're all leaving?"

Everyone nodded.

Then, Kino entered the area.

He walked to Ayla.

Ayla stepped forward.

"Crono was strong! Marle too! Ayla have fun!"

Both Crono and Marle laughed.

Marle turned to Kino.

"You're my distant ancestor. So you'd better have tough kids or I'll be trouble!"

Kino laughed.

"Heh heh! No worry. Ayla VERY strong."

Marle smiled. "Right!", but then she looked at the others, trying to see if anyone got his point.

"Hey... What do you mean by that?"

Ayla interrupted them.

"Kino dummie! We go now!" She pushed him into the gate.

Then she looked at all the others, and with a smile jumped into the gate.

Then the middle age King came up.

Frog croaked.

" 'Tis a feisty crowd! But they are thine kin, and 'tis of consequence.

Queen Leene awaits. Your Majesty, we too shall take our leave."

The king said "good-bye" to everyone and then walked into the gate.

Frog followed him, but Marle stopped him, just before he entered the gate.

"Mr. Frog..."

Frog turned around and croaked.

"...

Long farewells ne'er necessary."

Marle walked away to him.

"Right! Besides, actions speak louder than words!"

With those words, she kissed him.

Frog jumped back off, surprised.

Then he croaked and jumped into the gate.

Lucca laughed.

"Yeah. Don't these things end with the princesses kissing the frog?"

Marle giggled.

Magus walked to the gate.

He looked into it like it was a deep ocean.

"So... you're going to search for Schala?" Marle asked.

Magus answered with his mystic look, and the entered the gate.

The last one to go was Robo and Doan.

Doan came up and stood beside Robo.

Lucca looked down on the stone floor.

"Lucca, I will miss you." Robo said.

Marle walked to Lucca.

"What's wrong Lucca? Aren't you going to say good-bye to Robo?"

Lucca didn't answer.

Robo nodded.

"She knows."

Marle looked at him.

"Knows... what?"

Lucca shook her head.

"...

Robo was born in a bleak future. When we defeated Lavos, we changed history.

Robo... may not exist in the future."

Marle looked at Robo.

"Please relax." Robo said. "The new future has a place for me!"

Lucca jumped up.

She ran to Robo and gave him a big hug.

"Darn it, Robo! Don't pretend you don't care when you're really sad!

It just makes things worse!"

Robo made some beeping sounds.

"...

Lucca, you have taught me these emotions. Thank you."

Doan walked away to the gate, and entered it.

Robo backed off.

He waved with his hand.

"Good...bye."

Then he turned around and walked into the gate.

Sasuke turned to the three after Kakashi walked into the Gate.

"I guess this is farewell." He said.

"It was fun traveling with you, Sasuke." Marle said, smiling sweetly.

"Take care, Sasuke!" Crono said.

"And good luck restoring your clan!" Lucca said.

Sasuke turned around and entered the gate.

Once Sasuke had disappeared in it, the gate closed, and disappeared.

Lucca looked at it.

"I thought Lavos made the gates... But I guess I was wrong."

Crono looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

Lucca smiled.

"I think a greater force wanted us to experience those events."

Marle looked at them both.

"Time travel... How exhausting!"

"No kidding!" Crono said with a smile.

Then a soldier came up.

"Oh Princess, the King asks for your presence."

Marle nodded and together with Crono and Lucca, she walked down the big bell tower, where the king waited.

"I have a gift for you, to commemorate this day, Princess Nadia." he said.

Marle jumped up when she saw what it was.

A soldier came up with a new bell, who was tied with balloons.

Marle looked at it.

"It's..."

"It's Nadia's bell, which will replace the 400 years old Leene's bell. Henceforth, Nadia's bell will proudly ring for lasting peace!"

Marle smiled.

"It's beautiful!"

King pointed with his hand on the bell.

"Now, you can do the honors."

Marle nodded and walked to the bell.

Because all balloons, it weight much less then it should do.

Marle push it forward, and then lifted it up.

But she was too short to attach it, so Crono walk to her, and lifted her up.

She attached the bell and then tied up the balloons.

Then she jumped down.

"Done!"

The king applauded.

"Nice!"

The bell started to ring. It was a little bit different tone from Leene's bell, but it sounded wonderful.

Suddenly Marle lifted from the ground. The balloons she held were apparently powerful enough.

Lucca jumped after her, but missed.

"Huh?" Marle exclaimed. "H, hey Crono, help me!"

Crono climbed up on the bell tower and jumped to get her.

He succeeded to grab the rope.

"Let it go!" Crono shouted.

"I can't! My hand is stuck in the rope!"

"I'll help you!" Crono said and freed one of his hands.

They flied away while Crono tied up Marle's hand.

"That's it!"

Marle looked down.

"Too late!"

Crono looked down also. They were far above ground.

They could see the entire square from here.

And they got higher and higher...

Slowly, carried by the wind, Crono and Marle flew away high up in the sky.

Crono held the balloons in one hand, and Marle in the other.

Marle had put her arm around Crono's neck.

The sight was wonderful.

From here, Crono could see the entire kingdom. Even Medina.

Over there was his house, and there was the castle.

There was the pier, and there was the cursed woods.

Marle held him tight. She didn't want to fall. Crono wondered how these balloons

could keep them up, and be increasing altitude.

But soon, when some of the gas was out, they would slowly fly down again.

They kissed while they were flying.

Soon, they would land somewhere in the kingdom.

But right now, that was like tomorrow. This moment would last forever.

For Crono, the hero of time, and Marle, the princess of Guardia.


	16. Chapter 16: Epilogue

Schala Zeal was alone.

The Princess bent over and gasped for breath. She had spent all the rest of her energy sending Crono's friends, and the mysterious "Prophet," out of the Ocean Palace. She barely had strength left to stand. There was no doubt: she was alone.

Alone with Lavos.

She shivered at this thought. Every muscle in her body was tense. She breathed heavily, wide-eyed and frightened, as she slowly turned to face the large creature she knew was waiting behind her.

Lavos was not small by any means. Its massive form was a half-round turtle shell in shape and adorned with wicked-looking spikes that drove fear into the hearts of those who saw them. The actual body lay completely hidden inside, again like a turtle. Only the unusual three-sectioned head and a few large reptilian feet came out along the bottom. Floating in the air by the head of the beast was Schala's mother, Queen Zeal. Her crowned head was thrown back as she laughed uncontrollably, long purple hair falling off her shoulders to rest behind her robed back.

Unfortunately, Schala knew what would befall her in a few minutes. Lavos had been summoned, and Queen Zeal would soon make the Ocean Palace rise into the air, held high in the sky by the strong connection Queen Zeal and the beast had made with its evil magic. The Princess didn't know what role she would play in this event, but she didn't have high hopes for her survival.

She was almost relieved at this thought, sadly. Her life had suffered quite a downfall over the past few years. Ever since the Gurus had discovered the power emanating from deep below the planet's surface and built the Mammon Machine by Zeal's order to withdraw the "Great Lavos'" power, Queen Zeal's mind had become ensnared into an obsession with Lavos.

The King had died some years earlier, only shortly before the Queen felt the power of Lavos through the Mammon Machine. Because of her state of grief, she was weak enough to succumb completely to her craving for power. Schala was given most of her mothers trust. The Princess alone had the key to unlocking more of the power Lavos had. Schala, of all people, had the greatest capacity to use magic in the entire kingdom, and therefore was exploited by the Queen.

However, Queen Zeal wasn't counting on the fact that Schala also had the biggest heart in the kingdom.

Everything was so strange. Even now as she reflected on the past, her memories were hazy and her thoughts blurry. Her younger brother, Prince Janus, could always tell something was wrong with their mother. He always knew. He was always very in tune with the "Black Wind," an inexplicable force that often led Janus and herself to conclusions that none other would've arrived at.

The black wind was a frequency of the magic seeping out of the earth that only these siblings, it seemed, could hear...well, to put it more accurately: feel. It whispered tales and myths of future events that were puzzling and hard to understand, but the magic was so natural and easy to follow that they could immediately understand the truths the black wind revealed. It basically helped them predict the future.

She didn't like it, though. It filled her with dark feelings, and she tried ignoring it more often than not. Janus, being so young, was too intrigued by the idea of knowing what was to come, and always listened to what was carried on its whispy, invisible shoulders.

_I wonder if the wind told Janus about all this,_ she thought sullenly. _About Crono…_

Crono…what a soul. He had sacrificed his life to save his friends, and Schala as well. That was an act she couldn't imagine performing herself…what a thing to revere! Her chest swelled with awe and amazement as she remembered what Crono had done. What an incredible person to give so much for the sake of others. Maybe her similar kindness to others wasn't a foolish waste of time like her mother claimed. Maybe it had always been worth it.

The Queen…Schala reverted back into her bitter state at the thought of her mother. She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned deeply. _What have you done to us, mother? What have you done to everyone?_

Then Lavos and Zeal disappeared in a flash of light. Everything was white and she threw her arms in front of her face, trying to block out the light, leaning away. She felt completely lost. _I'm done for…Lavos is coming…_

Unexpectantly, she was yanked out of existence and pulled into a dark abyss of nother and non-reality. All around her were blacks and colors lost from any other location or plausible existence. There was no order, there was no being, there was no control.

Hundreds of feet in the air, the Black Omen loomed above the surface. Schala was gone, transported into the Darkness Beyond Time by Lavos at that critical moment. Zeal reigned over the floating palace, completely transformed mentally by the black poison of Lavos' influence. She never thought once of her daughter, or where she might have gone.

Nor did she think of her when Crono, whom she had presumed dead, stabbed her through at the top of the Black Omen.

**X~X~X**

Schala would've opened her eyes had she not forgotten how.

She could feel where she was. Or more accurately: what she had become. There were no answers, she didn't understand.

_Kill…_

She was scared; she wasn't only scared, she was more then scared. How could so many emotions swirl and shock her at once, unchecked? What was happening to her? Inside her? Why wasn't she dead? What state was she in?

_Die…_

She could feel so much..."blackness"…there was something very wrong with her. She was thinking thoughts that weren't hers and feeling many emotions she had never felt before. Almost everything scared her.

After all, being absorbed by Lavos when you're only 16 years old is no picnic.

_Death…_

Now she was angry. She had always been grateful for one thing, and that was the control she had over her thoughts and feelings. Now she was angry, because she could no longer think as she pleased. She was trapped.

_Kill…kill…_

All at once and out of nowhere, a young boy's scream pierced her senses. She could hear it, feel the fear of a scared youth, see what frightened him.

_It was…_

Some boy, some where, in some time, was in trouble.

She scoffed at herself. _What on earth are you doing caring about the well being of another person when you're stuck inside Lavos! Shouldn't you be thinking about how to get out before you think about helping others?_

She knew the thought was both wise and foolish: there was not much point in being concerned about others when there was nothing she could do to help even herself. However, she knew there was no way she could escape her prison on her own.

Besides, she was never very good at ignoring the cry of those who needed help.

Curious, she wanted to know more about this boy. But how? She began to remember the moment of the scream, to bring back the memories of what she had felt, bring back the way the scream had changed her senses.

And then it was there again, the same screaming voice, the same fear.

The same panther charging toward the same purple-haired boy.

She took a closer look at the boy, a closer look at the heart that produced the fear she could feel…and was astonished. This child was so…pure. There was so much good and innocence inside…she couldn't describe the joy she felt by simply looking inside his heart.

She knew then that there was something she really liked about this kid.

_Serge…_

He was in danger. She looked harder, looked into his future, since in this place the Black Wind was as clear a picture as if it was happening right in front of her…and she gasped.

She had to help! She couldn't let what would happen come to pass; it wasn't right, it wasn't fair!

But what could she do, caught as she was?

Maybe there is one thing…

With this new revelation came sadness. What she wanted to do would leave her at the full mercy of Lavos. She would lose the rest of the little control she had left. She began to doubt whether it was worth saving this boy's future in exchange for her sanity…

Until she remembered Crono. Then her doubts fled.

She smiled inwardly, if she could. She decided to try something. Whether it would have any effect or not, she had already decided it was worth a try.

She split herself down the middle of her being, drawing all the good away from her trapped body and sending it in a bundle with her pendant, to a person she knew, in a time period not too far before this boy's.

With the separation of her good and bad halves, her form changed drastically. Her dyed hair became its natural color of blond, and her thoughts became the same as Lavos'.

And then Schala and Lavos were no more. Two separate beings lost individuality, and a duet became a solo. Thus, the Time Devourer was born.

**X~X~X**

**December 1003 A.D.**

Lucca Ashtear was laughing as the small, purple R-66Y spun around enjoying itself under a tree nearby. The little bot had never been outside Lucca's house before, and all this new environment was a rush of information that flooded the interpretative programs Lucca had installed in it. Hopefully it wouldn't burst or shut down like the previous ones, she flinched.

When R-66Y hid behind another bush, she stole a glance into the sky. _What a beautiful morning,_ she thought cheerfully._ I should start taking walks through this forest every morning, with or without R-66Y._

Lucca yelped as something hard smacked into her shin, shooting pain up through her leg. She glanced down at the robot plopped on its bottom end, looking back and forth, lost, not knowing what had hit it.

She giggled, her body relaxing from her momentary alert mode. She hadn't fought for a while. She didn't want to, of course, but she wasn't stupid enough to not expect the worst.

Especially because of what she was up to these days…

R-66Y was standing up now, beating its arms against its chest, much like the way the robot it was modeled after used to do. Lucca remembered with a sigh that wonderful machine. He was still the most influential person in her life. She could still remember the pride she felt when Robo told her that he felt the emotions of sadness and happiness because of her.

Her greatest accomplishment still, even after everything she'd been working on recently.

A buzz floated in the air then, a low-pitched hum that filled her ears. She looked about, trying to find the source. Birds burst from the trees and flew off in flocks. All other sounds became overwhelmed by this growing noise. What is that?…

Strangely enough, a light was emanating from a short distance off. Behind a bush sitting next to a tree shot out a purple glow that shrank and grew with the frequency of the humming. A strange feeling was coming from this light, yet Lucca approached it. Step by step the buzzing became louder and the noise became nearly unbearable. Yet she persisted. Something was pushing her; there was something inside her telling her to go to the source of this phenomenon.

The light faded as she finally reached the bush and peered over. Against the base of the tree, the light was glowing around an astonishing sight that drew a slight gasp from Lucca's lips.

It was a baby, wrapped delicately in a white blanket.

Lucca's eyes shot wide open and she froze. A baby? Where did it come from? Why was the light…?

She observed the infant closer. All that was visible of the baby's body was the face, cute as a button, and the light blond hair peeking out from under the blanket. And around the neck of the child, as big as the baby who carried it, was a necklace holding a large blue pendant.

That pendant…!

The light disappeared from around the child, the noise humming through the air was gone, and the following silence was shattered by the sharp crying of the baby. It tried moving inside the blanket, but couldn't shift very much from the tightness of it.

Lucca stood and stepped around the bush, standing directly above the infant. She had an unusual feeling; reasons, and answers to "why" questions, entered her mind. This child was definitely special, no doubt about that. It was born here, now, in this way, for a purpose. It had to be protected from the trouble that may...no, would...come for it, since it had a mission that none other could perform. Its purpose was superstantial to mankind's survival, somehow.

And Lucca knew then that she would make sure that this baby girl's purpose would be fulfilled.

Gently, she knelt down beside the child, leaned over to wrap her arms around it, and brought it to her bosom. The infant was still squirming as she lifted it to her face, but once she began cooing it softly, the baby began slowing down. The crying simmered and stopped, its eyes slid closed and it fell asleep.

Lucca smiled. This was an interesting turn of events in her life. She'd never even considered a family future, marrying a man or raising children. She had lost all thought of that since the day her mom was almost injured by her father's machine when she was very young. Science truly had taken over her life, her feelings, her way of thinking. She had never felt the desire to be a mom or start a family of her own.

And here she stood now, with a child of her own…sort of.

This time she was prepared for the impact when the little bot tramped into her calf. She looked down at it and smiled as it played out its act of being lost and confused once again.

"Come on, R-66Y, let's go home. We have a new member of our family, now."

And so it was that Kid entered the life of Lucca Ashtear, four years after Crono, Marle and Lucca settled down from their amazing adventure.

**X~X~X**

**February 1014 A.D.**

A raven haired man was sitting on his bed, packing his supplies until he heard a feminine voice from inside his room.

_Their_ room, to be exact.

Years after Crono, Marle, and Lucca had defeated Lavos and after Sasuke returned to the village at some point, he married Sakura and they had a daughter named Sarada, essentially beginning the Uchiha's restoration.

"Are you leaving again, Sasuke?" The man turned to find his pink haired wife standing in the doorway, a smirk crossing her lips as she watched their raven haired daughter run over to him.

"Can I go, Papa? Can I, please?" She asked, looking up at her father.

Sasuke smiled at his daughter and ran his hand through his hair. "Okay, Sarada. You can go with me."

Sarada smiled brightly at her father as she put her glasses on and bolted past her mother before Sasuke grabbed his Gate Key after borrowing the idea from Lucca Ashtear.

"Promise me you'll take care of her." Sakura said, looking at her husband with a saddening look in her eyes.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll come back to you." Sasuke reassured her before he leaned in and kissed her, his raven black hair tickling his wife as he and his daughter left.

_'I just hope the Gate is still there after Crono defeated Lavos.'_ Sasuke thought, clutching the Gate Key in his hand shortly before hearing his wife run up to him.

"Sasuke! Change of plan, I'm coming with you!" Sakura said, running up to her husband and their daughter.

**X~X~X**

**March 1004 A.D.**

There was an unnaturally cold snow storm sweeping through the kingdom as Marle curled up against Crono in their king sized bed. She felt something within her stir and shot up awake. A feeling of dread and paranoia washed over her as she peered into the darkness of her room. Her blood ran cold through her veins as she saw a shadow in the corner of a familiar figure that was tall with wild long hair.

"Marle…" Crono stirred, lightly touching her arm. Marle glanced at her husband then back at where the dark figure was and it was gone, "What is it, darling?"

"I… I had a nightmare…" She stammered. Crono sat up and took her close to him, lightly passing a hand through her hair and kissing her.

"Well it's over now. I'm here." Crono whispered, his long red locks gently tickling her face as the cradled their faces together. Marle smiled and leaned in to kiss him again when a loud knock rang at their door, "What the—?!"

"Your majesties! Your majesties! Pardon the hour, but please! Come quickly! It's urgent!" a guard yelled.

Crono and Marle leapt from their bed. As Marle put on her night robe, Crono took his Rainbow Katana from over their bed and flung the door open.

"This way, my liege!" The guard gestured, hastily. Marle began to try to walk ahead of Crono but he gestured for her to stay behind him. While it annoyed her, she complied.

The three rushed downstairs as the crossed the throne room and neared the entrance hall. As they did, Marle and Crono heard a distinctively familiar voice ring out.

"Is that-?" Marle began as the guards opened the door.

As they approached the top of the stairs, the guards all stood guarding the stairway up to them, pistols and swords in hand, pointed at the intruder, who was a man about the same age as Crono. He was wearing a black coat with a white shirt beneath along with black pants with matching sandals and a purple belt. A bag was slung across his body. Beside him was a pink haired woman, wearing a sleeveless red quipo that exposed her stomach.

"Crono! Call off your men!" He demanded.

"Stand down, guards." Marle ordered. The guards complied as Crono rushed down past them, katana still in hand.

"Don't you remember me, Crono?" The man asked, looking into the King's eyes and it only took a moment for Crono to process who it was.

"Is… is that you, Sasuke?" Crono asked upon realizing he was looking at the adult form of Sasuke Uchiha due to his prosthetic left arm and his left eye had the Mangekyō Sharingan while the other had the Rinnegan.

"What? So that means that this woman must be..." Marle said, realizing that the pink haired woman was Sakura Haruno.

"It really is me, Marle." Sakura said, smiling at the Queen of Guardia.

Sasuke nodded. "It really has been a very long time, Crono..." He said, clasping a hand on the King's forearm.

"You got a haircut!" Marle exclaimed happily.

"We almost didn't recognise you, Sasuke." Crono said.

True to her words, Sasuke's hairstyle wasn't that of a duck, but instead almost in the style of his ancestor and the founder of his village, Madara Uchiha.

When Crono and Sasuke released each others arms, the young King noticed a young black haired girl standing behind the Uchiha. She was wearing a yellow shirt with a long sleeved red sweater with a pair of glasses that had a red brim on it.

"Don't be shy, Sarada." Sasuke said, kneeling in front of the shy little girl.

"Sarada?" Crono repeated slowly, his teal eyes growing wide as he realized what Sasuke just said. "Is that your daughter, Sasuke?"

"You just read my mind." Sasuke said, smiling at the King before nodding.

"She looks just like you." Marle said sweetly, bending down until she was about the same height as the young girl but quickly got up due to her swollen belly. "Who's her mother?" She asked, looking at the raven haired male.

After Sasuke told them what happened after the Fourth Shinobi World War, the King and Queen looked shocked.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Marle happily screamed, forcing Sasuke to cover his daughter's ears and Sakura her husband's. "You two just got married?"

"Yeah, and Naruto finally became Hokage." Sasuke said, nodding.

"Hokage?" Crono repeated, confused by the name.

"Our word for a leader, or king." Sasuke added.

Crono smiled warmly and enveloped Sasuke into an embrace, in which the Uchiha adult returned frequenly. "Congratulations, you two." He whispered.

"Thanks a lot. And good luck raising your child when the time comes." Sakura said, smiling at the Queen.

Marle smiled as she made her way towards Sarada, running her fingers through the girl's raven black hair as she walked towards her parents.

"We'll need it." She said, placing a hand on her stomach.

**X~X~X**

"So, what's the surprise visit besides you two getting married and Naruto becoming the leader of your village?" Crono asked once he, Marle, Sasuke, Sakura and Sarada were in the throne room of Guardia Castle.

"Nothing much. Just wondering how you two were doing." Sasuke said, looking at his wife, who was talking to Marle about what names that she and Crono might want to use for their child.

"We're doing fine." Crono said, looking at the prosthetic arm where Sasuke's left arm used to be. "By the way, how's that prosthetic arm of yours?"

"It's okay." Sasuke said, turning his attention to the rainbow sword that Crono had hanging on his side.

"Is that a new sword?" Crono asked, noticing the sword that Sasuke had under his black cloak. Sasuke smirked and nodded at the King.

"Yes it is. I hung up my old one to make sure that our daughter doesn't hurt herself." Sasuke said, looking at Crono.

"I'm glad that you settled down with someone as beautiful as Sakura." Crono said, looking at Marle and Sakura. "By the way, how did you ask her to marry you?"

"After you guys saved the entire world, I went on a globe traveling journey to atone for my sins and when I came back to the Leaf, I took Sakura with me and over time, I confessed my love for her and decided to settle down with her." Sasuke said as a smile crossed his lips.

"Did you have a ring for her?" Crono asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "No. But I did tell her to wear the crest of the Uchiha Clan on the back of her clothes from now on."

"I see." Crono said.

The two men snapped their heads to their wives giggling, blushes painted on both of their faces.

"Have you decided on a name?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes." Marle said, looking at her stomach where her child was resting.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Crono asked, looking at his wife.

Marle continued to rub her belly as she smiled at them. "I think I'll call him... Solan. Meaning 'Soul Seeker'."

"What a beautiful name, Marle." Crono said, leaning in to kiss his wife before Sasuke cleared his throat.

"I'm sure you'll be a great father someday." Sasuke said, looking at Crono as a small smile crossed his lips.

"Thanks, Sasuke." Crono said, looking at the male Uchiha as a wave of nervousness washed over him. "I'm actually scared."

"Hn. Don't be." Sasuke said as he clasped a hand on Crono's right forearm.

"So..." Marle said, looking at Sakura. "Are you and Sasuke going to have more than one kid?"

The pink haired Uchiha immediately blushed as she heard the Queen say that. "Maybe." She said, looking down and blushing furiously as Marle giggled at her attempt to hide the truth.

"See you later, Sasuke!" Crono said, waving at the new Uchiha family.

"Okay. Good luck entering parenthood and surviving." Sasuke said, waving back at the new king and queen.

"We'll need it!" Crono said, looking at Marle as she looked at him.

**X~X~X**

**The End.**

**Author's Note: It's going to be a while before _Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise _to come out in NA fully translated. Who's ready for it?**


	17. Chapter 17: It Never Ends?

**Author's Note: This chapter contains spoilers for the Nintendo DS port of Chrono Trigger!**

**November, 6500,000,000 B.C**

When Crono, Marle, and Sasuke descended into an unknown area, the trio looked around in almost an utmost awe.

Crono stood still for a moment as Marle stared at him and Sasuke. "Where are we?" She asked, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But let's keep going."

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding. "I agree with you, Sasuke." He said as he stepped into the unfamiliar area with the two behind him.

The trio entered what seemed to be an uninhabited village that was completely empty… until they heard roars of monsters coming from up the ladder.

"By the Gods, I think they're hiding because of the monsters." Marle said.

"I believe that we must take the monsters out in order to lure the villagers out." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke… Oh Gods, I agree with you." Crono said, nodding as he and Marle started to go north.

"All done?" Sasuke demanded when he saw the two climb down the ladder.

"Who's causing all that ruckus out there?!" A voice asked, surprising the trio.

"Who's there? Show yourself, where ever you are!" Sasuke demanded, taking out his katana from his scabbard.

"Easy, Sasuke." Crono said, clasping a hand on the young Uchiha's shoulder. "It's okay. You're all safe!"

A pair of reptilian feet were visible and Sasuke stiffened as he soon came face to face with a green skinned reptile.

"A reptile?" He whispered. "But you guys said that they were all extinct when Lavos buried himself inside the core of the earth at the ruins of the Tyranno Lair."

"That's what we thought too." Marle said, nodding.

"Talking apes?!" The reptile asked himself, looking at Crono, Marle, and Sasuke. "Hairless, talking apes?!"

Sasuke groaned as he shook his head. "We're not apes! We're humans! Get that through your heads!"

"Ignore him." Crono said, approaching the reptile. "What are you guys hiding here?"

"We've been hiding for centuries, waiting for heroes to come and beat the monsters. I guess it must be you."

Crono felt his heart accelerate. "Heroes, you say?"

"Yes. Will you help us?" The reptile asked, looking at the trio.

Sasuke clenched his teeth and threw back his head, the veins in his neck standing out.

"I'm not going to help." He said, trying to walk away before Marle froze his legs and dragged him back by pulling his ear.

Sasuke groaned in pain as he rubbed his ear. "Fine." He said.

"Hey, you three. Can I ask you something?" The reptile asked, standing near the first one.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Can you find a rare golden hammer for me?"

"Sure! Why not?" Marle said, jumping up immediately as she ran towards Crono and Sasuke.

"I just heard that we need some gold dust to find the gold hammer." Sasuke said.

Crono nodded. "Okay, and where do we find some gold dust?"

Sasuke smirked at him. "Follow me." He said, heading towards the great southern swamp.

"Why are we doing here?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

"We need a jar of gold dust, right? So, we need to check that glen with the flowers in order to find it." Sasuke said, pointing at the glade with flowers.

Marle giggled a little and then settled again. "You sound just like Lucca." She said, walking past the two swordsmen.

Crono and Sasuke looked at each other before they heard her screaming.

"She's in trouble!" Sasuke said.

Crono nodded. "Right. Let's save her."

The two swordsmen soon found Marle lying on the ground over a Deathcreeper and two Kingfrogs.

"You guys aren't going ANYWHERE with her!" Sasuke demanded, taking out his katana from his scabbard.

A wicked impulse flashed through Crono as he also took out his katana, killing the first frog with ease as Sasuke stabbed the other one, then focused his attention to the Deathcreeper.

"You're going to die, starting right here!" Sasuke said, activating his Sharingan and started to attack the Deathcreeper. He gripped his sword, and stabbed it with one quick thrust all the way to the hilt, causing the alien to melt into a pool of slime.

As he sheathed his sword, Crono felt his heart accelerate as he kneeled beside Marle.

"Marle… Oh Gods, are you alright?" He asked before Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Crono… get back." He said, kneeling beside them.

It took ever ounce of will-power for Crono to keep himself in check as he stood back. Utilizing his chakra to his hand and seeing how her throat was displayed so invitingly, Sasuke leaned forward and placed his fingers on Marle's neck, giving a relieved sigh when he felt her fluttering heartbeat.

"She's going to be alright, Crono. Don't worry." Sasuke said as he got up.

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding, "Well… if you say so, Sasuke…"

"I suggest you keep her safe." Sasuke said as he got up.

It took ever ounce of will-power for Crono to keep himself in check as Sasuke made his way towards the glen. Utilizing his chakra to his feet, Sasuke maneuvered through the flowers and snatched the bottle of gold dust.

"Sasuke!" Crono shouted.

"What?" Sasuke demanded, turning around and facing the spiky red haired swordsman.

"She's waking up!"

A moan escaped her lips as Marle shifted accordingly until she sat up for a moment, her eyes regaining their vision as she then saw Crono and Sasuke standing above her.

"Crono…" she said as Sasuke extended a hand out to her.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked, helping Marle up.

"Yes, I'm okay." Marle said, dusting herself off.

"Good. Let's use that gold dust on that sapling we found." Crono said as he, Marle, and Sasuke left the swamp.

"Yeah, I hope they have hot springs here." Marle said, almost moaning in relief at the intense warmth of the hot water easing her aching bones.

Crono and Sasuke looked at her strangely shortly before Sasuke gave in.

"I agree with her, Crono..." Sasuke said, nodding. "We do need a break after traveling through time."

**X~X~X**

An exhilarated moan escaped her lips as Marle stepped into the steaming water of the hot spring that the village was so kind to give them. As she leaned her head back to soak her long blond hair, Marle instantly heard Crono and Sasuke talking on the other side of the hot spring, and she groaned at the thought of shutting the two swordsmen up.

"Hey, Sasuke..." Crono said, looking at the young Uchiha.

"Hn. What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"How is it that you can use both fire and lighting?"

"My father taught me the fireball technique before my brother slaughtered our entire clan, and my former teacher taught me the Chidori."

"I see." Crono said, nodding as he got up and wrapped his towel around his lower half. Sasuke followed suit.

**X~X~X**

"This is my reality…" Itachi said wickedly, pushing his fingers into Sasuke's left eye socket as the younger Uchiha watched in complete horror. "Give me your light."

Sasuke roared in pain as Itachi ripped his left eye out of his socket…

…And immediately sat up in bed, screaming.

Checking to make sure that his eye was still in place and sighing in relief, Sasuke felt his heart accelerate as he pulled the sheets back and crept out of the room, trying his best not to wake up Crono and Marle, who were sharing the same bed.

Sasuke made his way towards the great southern swamp, letting the cool night breeze gently blow through his hair before he heard a pair of boots heading in his direction.

Crono.

"I take it you know why I'm here." Sasuke said, turning to face Crono, who was standing behind him.

Crono stood still for a moment as Sasuke stared at him with an expression he'd never seen before, noticing that Sasuke had his Sharingan activated.

"Sasuke…" Crono interrupted, looking into Sasuke's obsidian eyes. "This is about Itachi, isn't it."

It was statement, not a question, but Sasuke nodded either way. He wasn't going to deny it.

"Yes." Sasuke said, turning away from the spiky red haired young man as Crono approached him before he deactivated his Sharingan.

"I know its hard to forgive someone that just slaughtered everyone in your clan, but still loved you up until the end." Crono said, walking up to Sasuke as the sole Uchiha survivor continued to look at the ground beneath them.

"I know, but..." Sasuke started before Crono interrupted him by clasping a hand on his shoulder.

"Care to tell me about it?" Crono asked, looking at Sasuke.

"No." Sasuke said, shaking his head.

"Get some sleep. We'll continue in the morning." Crono said, clasping a hand on Sasuke's left forearm before he turned away.

**X~X~X**

"Is this it?" Sasuke asked, kneeling in front of the small sapling in the Millennial Woods.

"That's it, Sasuke." Crono said, nodding as Sasuke took the small bottle of gold dust from his pouch.

Sasuke pulled the cork out of the bottle and sprinkled the gold dust all over the sapling.

"It's going to take a while." Sasuke said, getting up from where he kneeled.

Marle gasped and looked at the two men. "Why don't we come back here in the Middle Ages? The tree would probably be large by now."

"Marle… Oh Gods, I agree with you." Crono said, looking at Marle and nodding at her.

It was statement, not a question, but Sasuke nodded either way. He wasn't going to deny it.

"Sounds fine by me." Sasuke said, walking out of the woods. "But we need to have another team get it."

Crono nodded, calmly and with understanding, "Well… I've already decided I want to head back to the End of Time and let you take over, Sasuke."

"Alright." Sasuke said as he took the Gate Key from Crono.


	18. Chapter 18: Time's Scar Pt 1

**January, 1005 A. D.**

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he could see was smoke; thick, black smoke. It choked and stung his throat. He scrambled out of bed, bent down to the floor and saw smoke seeping in from the hallway outside his bed chambers. Still bent low, he stepped out as fast as he could.

He ran down the dark hall, the fire crackling everywhere around him. Everything was a haze. He became slightly dizzy and nearly stumbled. The end of the hall appeared finally, and he faced the door that stood to the left of him. He thrust the door open and jogged toward the stairs, skipping three at a time, four sometimes, passing empty chambers engulfed in flame and smoke on the left, until he landed at the bottom with an unexpected crash. His head smacked hard and stars cut through his vision as he fell to the floor with a throbbing head. He wasn't willing to move, so unsure, so confused.

He finally pushed himself enough to at least sit up. He looked out of the tower he had just descended from. He couldn't even see the light from the main chamber because of the thickness of the smoke. He gathered up some courage, worked himself up to stand on his feet, and ran right into the smoke. Surprisingly it cleared away as he approached the center of the room.

Confusion and worry became horror as he looked around the chamber and saw destruction everywhere. Banners curled in burnt blackness, the throne was covered in soot and ash, and in the main doorway stood…

Crono choked, more on disbelief than smoke. There stood a man he had thought to be long dead, holding the legendary Masamune that had been stored in the secret chambers along with the Rainbow Shell and other sacred possessions.

Finally able to speak, he spit out: "Dalton."

The man in the orange cape sneered in recognition. "Crono. You're the fool who killed himself pointlessly, the fool the 'Prophet' warned the Queen about." He didn't look any different than Crono remembered, standing there with his long, light brown hair, bright orange cloack, blue slacks and an eyepatch over his right eye, but he looked rather scary holding that sword. There was something different about it being held in his hands…

Crono's teeth were gritted. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Dalton sighed and shifted his weight onto the Masamune, pointed down into the floor. He looked sillier than he meant to, but that was his nature. "After your stupid girlfriend and her friends tricked me into being sucked into the void left behind by my defeated Golem, I discovered the void wasn't a void so much as a gateway, as you could call it, to another location. I appeared in the middle of an area to the west of here, a place completely encased by trees (without snow on them, either) surrounded by rubble. I was very shocked to see so much green everywhere, and didn't know what to think about the temperature being so high. Well you can imagine how confused I was, but really I was just happy to be alive. I saw this castle from the distance, and realized I was somewhere completely different. Or, the thought dawned on me, maybe a completely different time."

He picked up the sword and stepped to his right, pacing as if there was nothing amiss, as if fire and smoke that he caused wasn't staring him in the face from all directions. "I saw the little village nearby and thought 'Aw, how quaint!' Taking after that no-good Prophet, I pulled my hood up and wandered around, asking questions wherever there were people who would see me, dressed rather strangely, and think little of it.

"I really did wander, even crossed over to the continent on the east. You'll never guess who I saw there! Damned Melchior, hiding behind his weapons while I merely asked a simple question. He threatened me so. I said that all I wanted to know was where I had wound up. He said that I would never find out anything until I started asking the 'right questions.' So I asked what the 'right questions' were. He said that my location hadn't really changed, but my time had. I said 'Ok, so when are we?' He said we were around 13,000 years in the future. I asked him how he knew that. At that point he REALLY got feisty and threatened to get Crono and the 'Legendary Masamune' to take me out. I must say, the most foolish thing he ever did. To let slip about you and this precious sword, I mean. It was fun to watch his little house burn, though."

He cackled his rather annoying laugh, but this time it sent chills down Crono's spine. He was so much scarier looking holding that sword, for whatever reason. Even the sword looked scary, completely different than he remembered, actually. Instead of its normal noble silver look, it had become a wicked-looking flame.

Crono scowled. "What did you do to the Masamune?"

Dalton scoffed. "Oh, don't tell me you didn't know? Even I knew about these three little pests before Melchior decided to melt them into a sword. It was supposed to take the shape of the hopes and dreams and other rubbish of the wielder." An evil grin split his face. "Well, apparently I'm as heartless as they say, 'cuz this blade sure is bitchin'!"

With that, his grin became a snarl and he leapt from his spot and sped toward Crono, the red blade trailing behind.

Crono barely had enough time to bring the Rainbow up to block the swipe of the Masamune. Barely enough so that the sword was still partly in the sheath.

Their faces so close they could mist each others eyes with their breath, Crono gritted his teeth with the effort it took to hold him back, while Dalton began grinning wildly. His eyes danced with flames that mirrored the room, it seemed.

Trying to break away, Crono suddenly shoved out with his sword while jumping away to get clearance. Dalton obviously didn't expect this and lost his balance, while Crono swung his sword and charged toward a toppling Dalton. Before he could strike, Dalton stuck the end of his blade into the floor and pivoted over it. The colored blade swung at empty air as the red flame shot up from the floor and thrust forward. Crono was lucky to jump out of the way just in time, and stumbled backwards, desperately seeking footing.

Dalton straightened, brought the Masamune out to his side and charged again. Blades flashed as Rainbow hit deformed legend, back and forth, up and down. Each attempted to trick the other with feints to the left and right, with sudden swipes and attempted jabs that always found air instead of its target.

With fear, Crono was slowly recognizing his eventual failure. Dalton was simply a better swordsman, and Crono was very much out of shape. Crono knew, however, that he was superior with magic.

In a desperate attempt to turn the tables, he broke away and ran, turning after a few paces to send a bolt of Lightning into Dalton's skull. The recipient merely budged his head an inch to avoid the impact, grinned even wider, lifted his open palm and filled the room with poisonous air.

Crono gasped for breath, choking in an exaggerated manner, stumbling toward Dalton. Without warning, he brought the Rainbow up to take a slice out of Daltons middle, but he was already moving, backing away while raising his palm yet again. This time a ball of gravity appearing black in color floated towards him, growing with each inch it traveled. Crono had been careless with his upward swipe and was temporarily unbalanced. The ball had plenty of time to make contact, and it attached itself to Crono, forcing him into the floor with crushing power. His breath was squeezed out of him and smoke tendrils filled his nostrils. Tears leaked from his eyes and pain screamed at him from his chest. Burning! Burning!

Getting a grip on himself, he brought up his magic barrier and thrust the ball of gravity off of him, which dissipated once contact was broken. Bruised and burning, he slowly climbed to his feet, regaining a full stance...right as the Masamune blurred through his torso in an upward swing. This sent Crono flying, falling away from his streaming blood, and the long, but luckily not too deep cut immediately burned worse than any injury he'd ever received.

With a loud thud, he crashed onto the floor and became completely still. He even stopped breathing. He wasn't willing to give up and die, but he was discovering with each passing moment that his skills had almost completely diminished over wasted time. He remained frozen, mind racing, trying to think of what to do. He couldn't think of anything, the cut across his torso was screaming louder than his thoughts, and the castle was still burning.

He heard a snort, followed by footsteps as Dalton walked out through the front gateway. _Thank the Light, he thinks I'm dead!_ Crono waited for a few minutes listening intently just in case his attacker came back, though he couldn't hear much over the crackle of fire and the breaking of weak furniture.

With a crash, a beam swallowed by flames fell from the ceiling and landed inches from his face. Fear threw his heart into his throat and he shot off the floor faster than he thought possible. The fire splashed from the beam to the carpet he was on and started to spread.

He looked around. There was nothing left to concern himself with as far as the castle was concerned. His only thought now was his family.

Clutching his front, he sheathed the Rainbow and ran through the gateway and out the front entrance into the dark night sky. Not wanting to risk an unexpected ambush, he sprinted even faster on exiting, racing toward the woods faster than his legs wanted to move, air filling and exiting his lungs faster than it wanted to pump, still trying to get smoke out of his system. But he never slowed. He needed to get them away, far away.

**X~X~X**

Lucca, the scientific genius, sat at her desk and sighed. She had been working on the skimatics for another robot generation, but the inspiration just wasn't flowing. Kid looked her over from her chair, slightly concerned.

"Big sister, you need to take a break! You look tired!"

Lucca smiled wearily to the girl. "It's alright, Kid. I'm fine. I just need to get these do..."

A big explosion echoed from the mainland. The purple haired woman jumped to her feet, running towards the door. She could see flames erupting from both the castle and village.

"We're under attack! Kid, go gather the others!" Lucca shouted frantically, eyes alight with fear.

Kid started running towards the door, but a strong power knocked her back into the ground.

"Kid!" Lucca exclaimed, running to her side.

"So, Miss Ashtear, we meet again. Still haven't changed your mind, have you?" Lynx's sneering voice sounded from the doorway. He was standing there, eyes narrowed. The Enigmatic Jester stood behind him, peering in.

"How dare you!" Snarled Lucca, standing. Flames started running up her arms, circling around her hands. "Why I'll - I'll fry you!" She raised fire engulfed hands, pointing towards Lynx. He in return brushed his hand, sending out a wave of dark energy which knocked Lucca down and sent her flying into a wall. The roar of flames could be heard from upstairs.

"Oh dear. It seems that your little house is on fire." Lynx sneered, walking towards the woman and completely ignoring Kid. Harle followed closely behind, pausing to glance down at Kid.

The girl blinked, peering up. "Wha...?" She shook her head, pulling herself to a sitting position.

"Lucca!" Kid shouted, spying her 'older sister.'

"What did you do to her?!" The girl screamed at Harle and Lynx. She jumped to her feet, charging at Harle. The Jester just pushed her away, sending her sprawling.

"Do not interfere with zis. It does not concern you, and moi does not want to hurt you," She warned, looking down to the girl arrogantly.

Kid winced, but then glared right back at the Harlequin.

"Kid...stop..." Lucca groaned and lurched to her feet, grabbing her gun from the nearby desk. Wincing, she brought it up and pointed at Lynx. "Don't you dare hurt anyone. I will not help you. Leave us now, Lynx!"

Lynx sighed, shaking his head. "It would seem that you don't have a say in the matter anymore." Grinning, he stepped forward, sending a few jolts of lightning at Kid, and unhooking his scythe from his back. "You had better come quietly, Miss Ashtear..."

Narrowing her eyes, Lucca shot a ball of plasma towards the feline demi-human.

Chuckling ominously, Lynx raised his scythe, deflecting it with blade like a baseball. He stepped forward more, holding his weapon ready to attack. Lucca stepped back, firing another, which the man dodged with the agility of a cat. Lurching to the side, Lynx sprang forward, bringing the flat of his scythe down onto Lucca's head. The girl had tried to fire a shot, but it was deflected as her arm was smacked out of the way and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Chuckling more, the toy of FATE snatched Lucca up, holding her like a rag doll. It was then that the ocean eyed boy shot in. Both Harle and Lynx turned to look at him before disappearing with Lucca.


	19. Chapter 19: Time's Scar Pt 2

**This chapter contains spoilers for what happened in both Part I and Part II of _Chrono Cross_.**

"Don't leave me!" The clone exclaimed as the power of the Mastermune wore out and Serge disappeared back to his time.

Sobbing, Kid fell to her knees on the grass, wrapping her arms around herself. "Big sister..." The tears cascaded down her face, dripping to the ground. She opened blurred eyes to view the burning orphanage.

Gritting her teeth, the clone narrowed her blurred eyes. Lynx... that was his name. She had heard Lucca call him that. Arms still wrapped around her body, Kid drew herself to her feet, burning with an intense rage. "Lynx... I'll get you for this..."

She drew her hands up to her face, eyes clenched shut. With a small noise from her throat, Kid threw out her arms, screaming, "I'LL GET YOU!"

X~X~X

The child of the sea played happily on the Opassa Beach with his friends. The now seven year old Serge was an adventurous, healthy youth with no knowledge of what had happened to him four years prior.

Giggling, the ocean-eyed boy tackled another, yelling, "tag! You're it!" Upon doing this, he started running away down the beach. After running for quite some time, he turned around only to see his friends going in the opposite direction.

"Hey, guys!" He yelled, waving his arms.

Pouting, the boy crossed his arms across his chest and started tromping towards the directions his friends went in. They were soon out of sight, though, and it was starting to grow dark. Serge shivered, rubbing his arms.

"Meanies...They...left me...b-behind..." His teeth chattered as his muttered to himself. He didn't notice the approaching squall as he walked through the sand, waves lapping at his ankles.

By now it was really dark out, and Serge was having trouble finding his way. Not only this, but it had started to pour, and the waves were crashing harder against his legs. In an attempt to get closer to the beach, he slipped and was dragged further away from shore. The water dropped down onto him as he fought to stay a float. Little arms pushed himself up and he gasped for air, while tiny drops of rain plopped onto his face and into his mouth, dripping down the side of his cheeks and hair. Coughing and sputtering, the boy of the ocean was dragged under his creator, which willed him further from home.

Darkness swept around him. Darkness, and loud crashing noises. The occasional thunder and biting whip of the air slapped him, but for the most part it was just cold, wet darkness. The boy opened his eyes, which saw swirling water and nothing else. He gasped, swallowing water and choking. The blue haired boy kicked with all his might, trying to make his way to the surface, but he was dragged down. Soon, darkness seeped into his brain and a single hand reached above the waves for help...

X~X~X

"Hold on, mate, I'll save ye!" The girl cried, grabbing the loose hand. She started swimming back towards the shore with powerful kicks, pulling the child up into her arms. Waves gushed down upon them, forcing the girl to add more power to her pushes. Even as the rain drenched them further, the clone was dragging them closer and closer. A wave caught hold of them, sending them crashing into the wet sand.

"Serge, me mate, are ye alright?" The blonde girl peered down somewhat urgently at her future companion. He wasn't breathing. In desperation, the girl started to push onto his chest, hoping to start his heart. After a few hard pushes, Serge gasped, water pouring from his mouth. He turned onto his side and vomited onto the sand.

When he at least emptied himself, the boy looked warily up to the girl, eyes blurry, before slipping into a state of unconsciousness.

Kid, the clone who had saved him, stood. In one hand she held Schala's pendant. Bring it up to her face, she muttered something and was soon enveloped in that same blue light. When it cleared, the baby Kid was sleeping soundly in a forest around Guardia Castle, with Lucca close by.

X~X~X

**September, 1010 A.D.**

"Serge, Serge! Oh Serge, please be all right!"

The boy's mother kneeled over him, tears pouring down her face. Behind her stood the village chief of Arni and a random assembly of people, as well as Serge's friends.

The boy laid lifeless in the sand, face pale and clammy. Marge picked up her son, sobbing.

"Serge...my boy...Why?!"

People lowered the heads in sorrow as Marge grieved for the death of her boy.

X~X~X

**June, 1020 A.D.**

"Oh Serge, you're all right! We had thought for sure that it would have been otherwise!" Marge cried shamelessly into her child's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and drawing him close.

Serge coughed, looking up to his mother weekly. "M...Mommy?" He whispered, his voice cracked. His expression was that of puzzlement.

Marge sobbed once more, tears of relief pouring from her. "Yes, Serge... It's Mommy... You're ok now..."

Smiling up his mother, looking dazed, Serge nuzzled against her and fell asleep.

X~X~X

"So you wanna be a Radical Dreamer, aye mate?" The man looked down to the determined looking kid. "D'ya think that ya got what it takes to be one of us?"

The twelve year old girl nodded. "Aye, I do." She was attempting to copy the thief's outrageous accent.

Grinning, the thief crossed his arms around his chest, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, mate, why do ya wanna be one of us?"

Kid's eyes were shadowed as she replied, "revenge," in a cold voice.

The man was slightly taken aback. "Revenge, ya say? Who could a little tyke like ya want revenge on?"

Clenching her fists, the girl looked him square in his violet hues. "Lynx. He ruined my life and killed my big sister. I'll get him, no matter what it takes."

Startled, the man dropped him arms and stared at the child in disbelief. Gathering his wits, he shook his head and once again adopted his cocky attitude. "Well then, Kid me mate, welcome to the Radical Dreamers. We'll train ya ta fight, steal, and that sort of business. Come, I'll introduce ya to the gang." He turned, motioning for her to follow.

Kid grinned somewhat grimly, following him. She and the rest of the orphans had been taken by the Porre military and "placed into foster care." She shuddered when she thought of the hell she lived through then. Kid, however, had been able to escape. Upon hearing of the small band of thieves known as the Radical Dreamers, she had decided to seek them out.

She would get her revenge, and no one could get in her way.

X~X~X

The blond thief peered down at the three men threatening the blue haired boy. Shaking her head in anger, she shouted out for them to leave him alone. She hated bullies!

This moment was the start of Kid's real journey, in the quest to fix time and set things right.

Guess what? They succeeded.


	20. Chapter 20: Notes

**Author's Note: Hello. SierraGust here. I would like to say thank you for reading my crossover story. My personal special thanks goes to Masashi Kishimoto for making Sasuke and Sakura Canon, as well as Square Enix (once known as Squaresoft) for making a very cool and addicting time-traveling game on the SNES/DS/PSX etc. that has two sequels (_Radical Dreamers_ and _Chrono Cross_) added as a bonus.**

**Have fun reading, if you know what I mean (_Radical Dreamers_).**

**And don't be getting any ideas of knowing who Serge, Kid, and Lynx are.  
**

**Also, if you're wondering where I got Solan's name, just read Chapter 8 (7) of For the Love of Darkness by Marle (CallMeMarle on DeviantART).**

** s/1870577/8/For-the-Love-of-Darkness**


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